Flight of the Kestrel
by HyperionGM
Summary: It is year thirteen of the GrS calendar and the Clone Wars have begun. On the Republic world of Anaxes, a young Bothan officer candidate is given an emergency commission to command a new warship in the even newer Republic Navy. A tasking which could shift the fates of quintillions. If she survives long enough that is... (Longer Clone Wars AU)
1. Begun, the Clone War has

**AN: Sort of a prequel fic for something else I'm working on, but it could easily be a standalone story. Not a oneshot, but could end up being one if I can't figure out where to go after this.**

**Hell, it could end up being the _thing_ if my other idea falls flat.**

* * *

"_**Everyone of a certain age range remembers where they were when they heard the Clone Wars had begun. It was the first time in forty standard humanoid generations that a full-scale war had broken out… After all was said and done, when the Empire rose, we hoped it would be the last."**_**-Commander Crix Madine, Imperial Storm Commandos, interview recorded prior to defection to Rebel Alliance.**

* * *

**13:5:21 GrS.**

**College of Planetary Security Forces, Anaxes Citadel, Anaxes, Axum System, Azure Sector.**

Cadet Kelia Los'ean frowned as she scribbled down some notes on a piece of flimsiplast while idly glancing at a holopict of her then newborn daughter, Litat, in her arms, the pale light of her desklamp illuminating her blond fur and hair, the latter of which was drawn back in a ponytail.

The Bothan's canid muzzle shifted into a smile as she leaned on her desk, pausing her work as she looked at the holo, gold eyes fixing on it.

She'd become a mother a couple months before heading off to the PSF War College on Anaxes after graduating from the Military Academy on her homeworld, and as much as it pained her to leave her child without her mother during such a time in her life, Litat was safer back home on Bothawui with her husband and the rest of the clan.

Bothan Space had already taken a neutral stance in the ongoing Separatist Crisis, even if it tacitly supported the Republic.

Already rumors of war were spreading, and a vote on the Military Creation Act was due in the Galactic Senate any day.

Kelia clenched her fist, the general opinion in the Academy system was that the Judicial Forces were completely unsuited for fighting a full scale war against the military forces the Separatist Alliance could bring to bear if rumors of elements of the major trade guilds pledging portions of their military forces to them were correct.

They weren't wrong either, the Judicials would be overwhelmed in a _real_ war if the Stark Hyperspace War was any indication.

And people like Amidala believed that negotiating from a position of _weakness_ would somehow keep the peace?

The Bothan clicked her tongue, the senator was naïve, she should know damn well that without a _real _military to back up her laws, the Republic was toothless. The Jedi couldn't fight a war on their own and they too had been defanged since Ruusan, their numbers and strength overall a pale shadow of the might the Order could once bring to bear on the enemies of the Republic after a millennium of 'peace' barring some pitiful brushfire conflicts.

Supposedly only around ten thousand, maybe twenty thousand at most, stood in defense of the Republic.

Hell, the Gungans of the good senator's homeworld had proven that military forces were ultimately necessary to deter invasions and pirate attacks on otherwise vulnerable worlds.

Had Naboo boasted a strong defense force, even if not intended for anything more than defense, the Trade Federation wouldn't have bothered.

And on a more personal level, the loss of several close friends to a pirate attack on Kothlis when she was a child was why Kelia had enlisted in the Bothan Sector Forces and later the Judicials in the first place, it was why she worked so hard to prove herself.

The Judicials_ had_ shown up at the end with a pair of _Dreadnought_-class heavy cruisers and four CR90s and taken down those responsible, but the overworked Bothan Sector Forces had been unable to respond to distress calls due to them being issued on a band they weren't monitoring, while the out of position Judicials had taken too long.

A strong, centralized navy was needed to reduce the risk of such tragedies occurring.

Someone needed to be hold that line in the sand when the Jedi or Judicials could not. Having a child merely _increased_ Kelia's desire to do so.

If the extant defense measures couldn't protect her daughter… _She_ would.

It was unbothanlike as hell, but she'd build a reputation of a defender, a soldier, like her clan had once been back before they'd given up the _Resol'nare _and reintegrated with the greater portion of Bothan society after the Mandalorian Excision centuries ago.

She'd leave her family and clan proud of her service, a good reputation that any Bothan would truly desire.

Glancing over at the subspace radio sitting on the desk, she switched it on and changed it to the news.

A voice she didn't recognize, high pitched and somewhat annoying, echoed over the speakers. ["-in response to this _direct_ threat to the Republic, meesa propose that the senate give _immediately_ emergency powers to the Supreme Chancellor!"]

Kelia froze, her roommate, a violet skinned Twi'lek female, stirring and sitting up at the noise. "Kelia… Whazz going on…" The twenty-year old Ielec Gibe, known to her own people as Ielecgibe, asked sleepily, lekku draped down over her chest.

The din of the senate chamber bursting into chanting issued from the radio as Kelia turned up the volume as he roommate, wearing a disheveled tank top and some academy issue thinskin bottoms much like Kelia strode over from her bed and leaned in, slowly becoming more aware of what was going on, about the importance of it all. ["Palpatine! Palpatine! Palpatine! Palpatine! Palpatine!"] Some senators chanted in basic.

["Order! We shall have order!"] Mas Amedda's voice boomed, the Chagrian Vice Chair of the Senate quieting the uproar.

The Chancellor's voice came on next. ["It is with… _Great_ reluctance that I have agreed to this calling..."] Sheev Palpatine began. ["I love _democracy_… I love the _Republic_..."] He said as applause picked up again. ["The power you give me I _will_ lay down when this crisis has abated."] The Chancellor proclaimed as the applause loudened further. ["And as my _first _act with this new authority, I will create a _Grand Army of the Republic_, to counter the increasing threats of the Separatists."]

Both officer cadets looked at eachother in shock.

Tomorrow was going to prove to be an… Interesting day to say the least.

* * *

**13:5:22 GrS.**

**College of Planetary Security Forces, Anaxes Citadel, Anaxes, Axum System, Azure Sector.**

Kelia sighed as she worked again on her thesis for fleet combat, rewriting the document yet again to include changes to ship classifications in the still in progress Anaxes War College System that was being debated by hundreds of officers, cadets, and scholars even as she worked on it.

Aggravating, but she chose it as her hill to die on so there wasn't much choice.

A tone blared throughout the building as the PA system came to life. ["Attention all staff and personnel at the Anaxes Republic Navy War College. An important announcement from the Superintendent is about to be made."] The tinny voice of a protocol droid announced over the speakers.

The blond furred Bothan blinked as she and dozens of other students looked up from their terminals. That change of designation was new, and Kelia's fur rippled in unease as the implications began to make themselves clear.

The Superintendent coughed lightly as he took the mic. ["To all the staff, cadets, and other personnel here at the Republic Navy War College of Anaxes… At approximately 11:56 Hours Galactic Standard time, the Grand Army of the Republic and the Republic Navy launched a full-scale invasion of the planet Geonosis in response to the military buildup of a massive Droid Army that the Confederacy of Independent Systems was conducting there and the capturing of several Republic agents who'd uncovered imminent plans for war from the Separatists… Initial fighting lasted four hours before the remaining droids on the battlefield were shut down after the Confederate military leadership fled. Casualties numbers are still unknown, but among the deaths it is believed that over a hundred Jedi perished in the fighting… To put it succinctly… We now are at _**war **_with the Confederacy, and I will be frank, we are short on officers of every stripe to lead the new Clone Army that was discovered mere days ago on Kamino and turned into both the Grand Army of the Republic and the core of our new centralized Navy. Therefore, the cadets of the 14 GrS Class have been automatically graduated unless they do not meet minimum emergency passing specifications… All cadets from that class are to report to the graduation atrium in full _service _uniform as soon as possible to receive their postings… May the Force be with you all."]

With that, the PA cut out, leaving everyone stunned speechless.

War… A full-scale Galactic War… Something that hadn't occurred in a _thousand years_. To most, it seemed surreal, almost inconceivable that it was really happening.

Kelia felt her throat dry up even as her fur settled back down.

War…

She'd personally always known it would come to this… But it never prepared her for the reality of it all.

* * *

Kelia shivered as she waited for her posting among a group of hundreds of cadets, wearing the crisp new green-grey uniforms of the Republic Navy.

The Bothan nervously adjusted her officer's cap, it was _sweltering_ in here due to how many bodies were packed in, with air conditioning droids floating over the crowd and working overtime to keep them cool enough to be presentable.

Ielec gave Kelia a thumbs up as she stepped forward in the line next to the Bothan, the Twi'lek being handed a datapad with her new assignment. "Arca Barracks huh? Guess that's a Triple Zero posting." She whispered before saluting the officer who'd handed her the device and heading off when given permission to do so.

Kelia strode forwards and had a datapad almost_ shoved_ into her hands unceremoniously. There was no time for pomp or ceremony, the Republic needed military leaders and she needed them _now_.

She looked down at her datapad and her fur bristled in surprise.

Attached to it in a plastic bag were the two red squares and one blue of a Navy Captain's rank plaque.

Checking her orders, she realized she was to report to the shipyards to receive her command.

A new _Venator_-class ship, the _Kestrel_. One of the behemoth klick-long new Kuati warships they'd started building a few months ago in response to rising tensions with the Separatists, and one of the first vessels in her class to enter service.

They apparently wouldn't be available in numbers for a few months, so getting one _now_ was a highly prestigious assignment. Which confused the Bothan as to why she'd been chosen.

Maybe they didn't have many people who fit the bill, or it was completely random. Maybe she'd actually impressed the instructors enough for them to entrust her with such a vessel when most others were getting _Consulars, _CR70s, CR90s, CD10s, and _Dreadnoughts_, ships both older and smaller than a _Venator_ or _Acclamator_.

Kelia nonetheless saluted sharply, the officer who'd handed her the datapad and rank badge saluting her back before she fell at ease and then walked away, heading to shuttle pad seven for transfer to the planetary dockyards where her ship awaited her, pinning her rank plaque to the left breast of her jacket in the process.

* * *

Awaiting her was a craft she'd never seen before, a tandem-seat white and red dropship of some kind with drooping wings bearing bubble turrets of some kind near the tips descending diagonally off the craft's upper rear from underneath a pair of massive mass-driver missile launchers, with the engines tucked safely at the center rear of the craft, above the tail-gun and rear door with two chin guns on independent ball-mounts well below the gunner's seat at the frontmost section of the gunship.

A sizable troop bay with two massive doors swung back to allow entire squads egress at once, a bay large enough to carry about thirty or so standard sized humanoids at once when crammed to max capacity by her estimates, made up the vast bulk of the craft's size, at the front of which sat another pair of bubble turrets, one on each side, just ahead of the forward doors.

These ones carried a pair of gunners, whom looked around while sitting in their seats, seeming almost bored with their assignment.

Why they were manned she couldn't fathom, but there might've been issues properly automating those weapons mounts.

A gunship transport then, predatory and deadly looking, with the eight spoked Galactic Roundel on her hull, just behind the rear cockpit bubble.

Striding forwards, a human male wearing green-striped white armor strode forwards and saluted her, left hand holding his carbine by the extendable stock under the barrel. "Sir! Sergeant CT-42/132, reporting sir!"

"At ease?" She asked, presuming this man, the three standing aboard the transport, and the two pilots to all be some of these 'Clone Troopers' that she'd been hurriedly informed about. "I assume that this is the transport is meant to take me to the docks?"

"Yes sir! LAAT-23/44 Besh is ready for your boarding sir!" The man acknowledged as he brought his right hand back to the grip of his DC-15 carbine. "This way sir."

Kelia sighed, it was clear from the hitch in his voice that the Clone was being awkward since he'd likely never seen a female Bothan, or possibly a female humanoid in _general_ before given the presumed isolation the Clone Army had been raised in. "Right, let's get a move on then." She said as she strode towards the waiting gunship, the Clone Sergeant following in her wake.

* * *

**13:5:21 GrS.**

**Anaxes Central Drydock Airspace, Anaxes, Axum System, Azure Sector.**

The LAAT droned through the air, Kelia standing at the head of the troop bay with the five Clones around her. "Sergeant?" She asked.

"Sir?" The man acknowledged.

"Why is it that you men refer to me with a male pronoun despite me being female?"

"Well…" The Clone trailed off sheepishly, helmet tilting downwards. "It's mostly because that aside from the female Kaminoans, whom have only minor external differences from the males, and a few of those who've seen the mercenary trainers… Most of us have never seen a female _human _before, let alone one of _your_ species… So we're just so used to using sir as a pronoun since our training leaders were usually other Clones." He explained.

"Hey sarge, ask her what those big mounds on her chest are for." One of the rank and file Troopers piped up.

"Why don't you ask her yourself 56/1102?" CT-42/112 snapped at him.

"My breasts…? Most mammals have them for nursing their young." Keila explained. It wasn't like she was unused to comments about her bust size either, given that most of the barvs commenting about it shut up when she explained, often crassly, that she was a mother and her husband was a Bothan Spynet operative, which usually made them stop harassing her out of fear that a vengeful Bothan spy might end their entire career with a few well-placed leaks to media outlets, not that Korsk would've unless they gave him good reason to.

"They also have… Other uses…" She admitted before realizing exactly what she just said, the helmets of the Clones tilting in confusion.

"What kind of other uses? Crashbags?" One of the Troopers asked innocently, the quiet wonder of a child.

A child… How _old_ were these Clones anyways? She knew that accelerated aging was standard for clones, it had to be for them to be of any use, but the mere thought was still enough to unnerve her slightly about the callousness of it all.

The Bothan looked away, face flushing a bit red. She doubted her husband would be pleased about corrupting a few innocents who clearly had literally no sexual knowledge by explaining some of the more risqué things she'd used her breasts for, especially since most of them also involved him. "Yeah, that's also a use for them…" She said, trailing off in embarrassment.

The Clones just looked at eachother and shrugged.

["We're coming up on the shipyards now."] The pilot announced over the gunship's intercom, the same voice as all his brothers, even if the exact tone was slightly different.

Kelia, glad for the intervention, looked out the slats of the gunship doors to see the immense dome that made up the oldest and most prestigious planetary shipyards loom in the distance as the LAAT/i entered a holding pattern.

Soon, the gunship gently banked right and flew into a cavernous bay, where an immense grey and red vessel loomed large, twin command towers cutting an imposing profile over the indented arrowhead hull of the warship.

The side-doors opened as the gunship landed on the open hangar deck strip and turned sideways, hundreds of Clone Pilots, flight crew personnel, rank and file infantry troopers, gunners, vehicle crews, officers and enlisted naval crew, and even a few medics stood at crisp attention. Only a fraction of the vessel's crew of _thousands_, but that every department had been represented further cemented in Kelia's mind that she was responsible for the lives of _every_,_ single_,_ one_ of them.

"Captain on deck!" A Clone with orange-yellow striping on his armor, which was otherwise identical to CT-42/122's markings, down to the four dots on the left side of the chestplate, announced from the head of the committe.

As one, the Clones saluted, the Bothan saluting back. "At ease! Permission to come aboard?"

A Clone Naval officer, the OOD, nodded. "Permission granted, sir! Welcome aboard the _Kestrel_!"

Kelia nodded as she stepped off the LAAT with the five Troopers behind her, the Gunship lifting off slightly and slowly drifting towards one of the hangar bays lining the 'flight deck'. "Do we have time for a full inspection, or do we already have deployment orders?" She asked the orange-yellow Clone, whom she assumed was in command of the ground complement at least.

"Yes sir. We have standing orders to report to Coruscant for taskforce assignment." The Clone Officer replied.

Kelia nodded. "Very well, we can do our full inspection while underway, I want to understand the intricacies of my command at the least before I take her into battle."

"Understood, sir."

She glanced about idly. "Is there anyone who is available to escort me to the bridge for our departure…" She trailed off, trying to figure out the Clone's rank. "My apologies, they didn't fully debrief me on the rank structure of you and your men."

"Regimental Commander CRC-23/909 sir. In charge of the 608th Mobile Regiment. I'll have 42/122's section take you up if you wish."

"That would be acceptable, Commander."

"This way sir." 42/122 informed her as he gestured for the Bothan female to follow him, Kelia nodding and following him and the four troopers from the gunship.

A red-striped Clone Major strode up to 23/909. "What do you make of her sir?" He asked.

The Clone glanced back at his brother. "Hard to tell, apparently she graduated early… But one thing really stood out to me about her 552…"

"What was that?" CC-552/67 asked.

"She called us _men_, not _Clones._"

* * *

**13:5:21 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**.**

Kelia glanced out over the hull of her vessel from the starboard bridge, meant for ship and fleet command if need be, as the Venator's vast dorsal hangar bay doors slid shut after accepting the last of the three hundred odd new V-19 Torrents that made up much of her fighter complement, completely revealing the two open circle naval emblems, emblems that the Navy had once used in the earliest days of the Old Republic.

"Inform dock control we're ready to depart once they've made all the preparations on their end." She said as she glanced down into one of the two bridge pits, a design choice intended to keep crews focused on their jobs rather than any battles raging outside.

"Aye sir." A Clone comms tech replied from below before speaking into his headset, reporting their readiness to depart.

Kelia glanced out the viewports yet again, watching as lines were detached and boarding ramps unhooked and withdrawn.

"Sir, we're clear for departure!" The comms tech announced.

"Right. Inform engineering that we'll need power diverted to engines and repulsors as needed. Helm, bring us out of the bay." She ordered.

Slowly, the immense 1,137 meter long vessel lurched from her resting place, slowly lifting off the bottom of the drydock and lifting off into the air as she pulled out from the bay, landing struts retracting into the underside of her hull as powerful ion engines emitted blue flares of light.

Escorting her was a squadron of Judicial Z-95AF4 headhunters, six to each side of the ship, and a trio of refit _Consular_-class vessels with CEC's Charger c70 Retrofit package, vessels under her direct command and whom would serve as the _Kestrel's_ picket escorts on their way to Coruscant.

The fighters quickly broke off as the _Venator_ began to ascend faster and faster, only the escorting Corvettes keeping up.

Kelia turned and saluted the Anaxes Citadel, which stood imposingly off in the distance.

She had no doubt the next class of cadets at the academy, the ones who'd formally graduate, were outside, staring at the _Kestrel_ in awe, wondering if they would be lucky enough to ever command a vessel of such power and presence.

A lucky handful might even see the bridge of one of Kuat's _Mandators_ or _Praetors_.

The _Kestrel_ ascended ever higher into the atmosphere, nosing upwards until it was at a forty-degree angle to increase the rate of ascent, until Kelia could see nothing but stars and the distant shine of the other worlds in the Axum system.

"Navigation, once we're clear of the gravity wells, plot a course to Coruscant. I'll be performing a quick inspection of the vessel's sections before taking a look at my quarters."

"Aye sir." The Clone in charge of navigation acknowledged Kelia strode out of the bridge.

* * *

Sometime later, the Bothan sat down at the desk in her room and began to unpack. All of her personal effects from the academy had been transferred beforehand by droids so she hadn't worried.

So far everything was running smoothly, a good sign.

The ship's engines whined, the high pitched 'baby's cry' of a newly launched ship according to old timers within the Judicials she'd talked to on off days. In time, as the _Kestrel_ saw service and repairs and maintenance mounted, it would be replaced by the duller thrum of a seasoned vessel.

Kelia frowned as the word baby caught in her mind, maybe once they reached Triple Zero she could contact her husband and inform him about her posting if possible. Nothing too revealing to avoid breaching security, but she had no doubt his status as a Bothan Spynet operative meant that he'd find out sooner or later via favors others owed him.

She was the mother of his child after all, so she could see where he'd get a bit… _Protective _to say the least.

That and she wanted to hear how Litat was growing, maybe see a few holos of her to help ease the pain of being away.

The intercom on her desk chimed softly, Kelia clicking in. "Los'ean."

["Captain, we're about to revert to realspace."] Came the reply of the Clone she assumed was going to be her XO.

"Roger, I'll be there in a few moments." She acknowledged before cutting her end of the transmission and straightening out her uniform, adjusting the brim of her cap over her brow ridge, so that the visor ended mid-way over her canid muzzle, and then striding out of her quarters, the DC-15s Carbine equipped Clone Trooper standing guard saluting her, which she acknowledged with a simple nod.

* * *

Kelia strode towards the front of the command bridge, staring out the viewports into the swirling blue black of hyperspace, the transparisteel windows having been depolarized in preparation for the reversion to realspace.

The ship's XO saluted her, Kelia saluting back as the man lowered his arm and headed to the rear of the bridge, where the command information center was, to monitor the surrounding space.

She supposed she'd have to ask about some things later.

Such as figuring out names she could call the Clones because to _hell _with remembering their designation numbers.

It was not only impersonal, but _impossible_ for her, and most humanoids for that matter, to even accomplish.

"Three, two, one…" The navigator announced before the ship jolted ever so slightly as it decelerated, swirls becoming streaks, and then streaks becoming stars as the orange and grey sphere of Coruscant too unsmeared before them, the three armed white and red _Consulars_ joining the _Kestrel_ as they too jumped out of hyperspace

Already dozens of cruisers, frigates, and corvettes stood in defense of the ecumenopolis, fighters and patrol boats ushering arriving and departing ships into far more regulated streams than they had been previously.

A sizable force, but one still _far _too small to effectively defend the Capitol of the Republic should Separatist forces in the Core Worlds consolidate and attempt to move for a decapitating blow against them this early in the war.

"Send our codes to traffic control and the local command ship. I'd rather not get fired upon because of a mixup. We're not anything they've ever seen before so they might panic."

"Understood." A Clone acknowledged as they began to carry out the order.

She glanced out over the space in front of her, steering well clear of the traffic lanes to prevent any incidents.

Even with the _Kestrel's _immensely powerful shields she'd rather not collide with a fully laden fuel tanker and risk destroying her ship because she got cocky.

"Control has sent us our flight plan, we're to take position at the head of Defense Group Seven until further orders come in."

"Understood. Helm, plot a course."

"Sir!"

As the _Kestrel_ came about and headed towards one of the groups of _Dreadnaught_-class heavy cruisers that held orbit over Coruscant, Kelia wondered something.

How much longer would this lull last? After all, the Battle of Geonosis was over…

But this was just the beginning of the Clone Wars to come.

* * *

**AN: Just a fiddly little thing, I'm well aware the _Venators_ didn't become available until part-way into the war in legends but that's entirely because of the retconfest that started when they first appeared, it's more fitting to have them being built and slowly rolled out from the very beginning before Kuat and the other yards pick up the pace.**

**Likewise for the supposedly limited numbers of Torrents, the GAR only brought to Geonosis what they had on hand on Kamino and nearby Rothana, places further back would certainly have greater access to production lines, since Palpatine is logically not nearly stupid enough to not give the Republic decent capital ships and fighters and thus risk weakening it too much early on in the war.**

**Issue is, AOTC didn't have any fighters or dedicated warships so that's what the people doing the Clone Wars multimedia project used until they were introduced. It was a good idea but a trainwreck from the start since it made the Republic a pushover for about... _Six months_.**

**Yeah, uh, no. Accounting for the already utterly moronic lowballed Clone Trooper numbers (3 million Clones for an entire full-sized Army and Navy in a _Galactic War_?) that's just the icing on the stupid cake.**

**Not the weakest part of the prequel era, but one of them.**

**On the topic of Clone numbers, I have an explanation lined up for when... if? I continue.**

**Also yeah, most Clones would have never seen a female who _isn't_ Kaminoan before, and their education contains next to nothing on sex, so therefore most of them are going to be quite awkward around non-clones, at least initially.**


	2. Storm over Muunilinst

**AN: Chapter 2, a bit of a timeskip here, which is a given, most of the main action in the war doesn't occur until at least a month in, since Palpatine/Sidious is trying to have both sides consolidate before launching their initial offensives. Some more minor changes from canon here, such as the **_**Gladiator**_** being developed concurrently with the **_**Venator**_** to provide it with a capable escort ship, the Republic sorely lacking known classes in the heavy cruiser tonnage range outside the **_**Dreadnought**_** until the **_**Victory**_**-class jumps onto the scene in 20 BBY. It works too since nobody really much cares about the Gladstars really, them being the forgotten Star Destroyer class out of the original triad of the **_**Imperial/Imperator**_**, **_**Victory**_**, and **_**Gladiator**_**.**

**I don't count the **_**Executors**_** as Star Destroyers considering they're Star Dreadnoughts/SSDs explicitly.**

**Anyway, I'm trying to make sense of the amount of junk related to the multimedia project, which was haphazardly slapped together despite the best of intentions that the timeframes are utterly borked half the time, especially after ROTS shot everything in the face and forced them to do sweeping retcons to explain why the _Venators_ weren't available sooner, so the War might be getting a extension of about a year or two before Order 66 while I try to sort things out for the sake of the story's narrative.**

**Small wonder Dave Filoni decided 'fuck it' and set the timeline on fire when legends was still running strong as the EU, because what he wanted to do was so heavily restricted by the multimedia project's adherence to an established doctrinal timeline, one that itself suffered from inconsistencies due to the incomplete control exerted over the project, that it stifled his attempts to tell a story.**

**George gave him the okay as well, so it's not like he _didn't_ know what was going to happen. Even if some of the choices _were_ questionable at best and outright _detested_ at worst.**

**_Cough,_ New Mandalorians, _Cough_.**

**In any case, it really doesn't hurt Palpatine's plans (or most of the lore) in the slightest and in fact makes them **_**more**_** likely to succeed by further eroding public trust in the Jedi and Republic as organizations while enabling him to seize ever more control from the Senate and the Judiciary.**

**Hell, it really doesn't even matter in the long run either since one can easily adjust minor details such as the ages of characters like Han and Lando who were born before the rise of the Empire.**

**But what it does mean Anakin might get knighted _before_ the Dark Reaper crisis begins due to how I'm rearranging things. Of course I could just as easily have him be knighted after it or Jabiim since those two are key trials in his life. Probably the latter all things considered.**

**But yeah, this is gonna be about 90% derived from legends material with some fanon material and legends material added mostly to pad out the arsenals of both sides.**

**That and with a more 'realistic numbers for a _space war_' bent since I absolutely cannot stand the lowballed numbers in official material.**

**Looking at Muunilinst alone, one of the exceptions to this trend, the official numbers on Wookieepedia state that 200+ _Acclamators _participated in that engagement, assuming that the main 200 were all fully loaded transports then 3.2 _million_ Clones in ground troops alone were present for the battle, not counting pilots and ship crews.**

**That's more than supposedly exist in the entire Clone Army at that point in the war, and just at that battle alone, eight or so are simultaneously deployed to Mon Calamari and another six at least are shot down over Hypori.**

**And that is canonically (not in this fic) just four months in, _after_ the Dark Reaper and Decimator crisis and the losses incurred during those campaigns. Not to mention the devastating Battle of Atraken is _still_ going on and wouldn't end until the next year.**

**EDIT: Changed some stuff to make the story flow better, incase anyone's wondering about the update**

* * *

"**Los'ean? Kriff, I remember her, Delta and two other teams deployed aboard her ship about two months after the start of the war… Stern but fair when she needed to be, motherly and caring towards her troops when she didn't… And harsh and unforgiving towards anyone who threatens those under her command or protection. Oddly paradoxical but she was one of the best in the entire Republic Navy in my opinion. Scorch only _half_-jokingly refers to her as 'mom' sometimes.****"-****IC-1140, 'Fixer', interview conducted post-war.**

* * *

**13:7:7 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Republic Staging Grounds, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Coruscant Sector.**

Captain Kelia Los'ean sighed as she strode aboard her ship, the _Kestrel_, after greeting the OOD at the boarding gantry, her brief respite of leave after two months of guard duty around Coruscant was brought short by new orders.

Two months of trying to keep her crew from tearing itself apart out of boredom between her own stints down to Coruscant to avoid going insane.

Those orders? Sending her ship to aid Masters Kenobi, Oshid-Jin, and Monn in the attack on Munnilinst and break the back of the Banking Clan.

Over two hundred _Acclamators_ made up the bulk of the fleet's heavy ships, with thirty-six _Venators_ serving in the primary fleet roles, fifteen of the new _Gladiator_-class ships that had just finished up their shakedowns serving as escorts for the _Venators_, effectively a field test for the rest of the production run, the line was anchored by a _Praetor B_-class Battlecruiser, a type being built in the low dozens by KDY, originally under the ostensible means of 'testing out full-scale systems and weapons integration on a large hullform' to bypass the now defunct Ruusan limitations on warships due to issues with updating the extant _Praetor As_ to full wartime standards, eighty modernized _Dreadnought_-class heavy cruisers, ninety of the new _Arquitens_-class light cruisers, ninety _Pelta_-class assault frigates, two hundred _Pelta_-class transport frigates, fifty-six CR90 corvettes, thirty DP20 gunship frigates, and a hundred and twenty _Consular_-class corvettes outfitted with Charger c70 retrofit suites.

This wasn't a dinky little three to twelve ship skirmish line, it was a full-scale _fleet_ meant for a major battle. That so many of the still scarce _Venators_ and _Gladiators_, on top of an actual _battlecruiser_, were being deployed meant that serious trouble was expected.

It was forces arrayed like this that further reinforced her refusal to believe the dung the senator for the IGBC was saying about San Hill going 'rogue' for one kriffing nanosecond. If he was rogue, then why the hell were so many of their _Munificents_ and Hailfires wearing CIS blue and white now?

Hell, why was Muunilinst, a key Banking Clan world, considered a Separatist planet if the IGBC was supposedly 'neutral'?

But she was just some no name naval officer and Rush Clovis was a senator who could make up all the excuses for his Muun masters that he wanted.

"Kriffing corporates… Giving them Senate representation… Whoever's responsible should've been shot." She grumbled as she strode past a squad of about eight Clone Troopers led by an unmarked corporal, all of whom saluted her on reflex even as they halted their marching.

She saluted back before continuing to fume silently as she passed an equally frustrated looking group of AT-TE drivers while heading for the direct line turbolift to the bridge deck.

* * *

Emerging on the bridge, Kelia, now in a slightly better mood, strode up to the forward viewport. "Perth, are we ready to go?"

She enjoyed the nickname her Clone XO had chosen for himself, it rolled off the tongue and was rather unique since some of his brothers seemed to choose number related nicknames or something.

The Clone Naval Officer looked at her and nodded. "Yes sir, fleet's ready for departure, we're to fall in with the combat group led by the _Negotiator_ and the landing group led by the _Nevoota Bee_."

"This'll be our first combat assignment, make sure everyone's ready… The Banking Clan won't give up their vault world without a hefty fight." She told him. "Is there anything else I should be aware of? Any happenings on the ship?"

The Clones glanced at eachother briefly but said nothing, the Bothan cocking her head before dismissing it for now. "Right… Anyways, get us spaceborne."

"Sir." Perth replied before walking back to the command information center as the _Kestrel's_ engines powered on and she began to slip free of the bonds of gravity and climb out of the docking bay she'd been landed in, a pair of LAATs briefly buzzing alongside the vessel before banking away.

In the distance, Kelia could see a swarm of V-19 Torrent fighters lift off from the fighter bases. A veritable _cloud_ of craft soaring into the Coruscant sky, countless pinpricks of blue light from their engines illuminating the horizon like a swarm of stars even as the sun set on Galactic City while dozens of _Acclamators_ ascended from assembly areas and began to climb towards the darkness of space.

* * *

**13:7:7 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Coruscant Orbit, Coruscant System, Coruscant Sector.**

The _Kestrel _joined formation with the vast armada assembling over Coruscant at the jump point towards the northern branch hyperlanes, which would take them to Munnilinst.

Tapping on a button, Kelia addressed the ship. "All hands, this is the Captain speaking, prepare for the jump to hyperspace. I repeat, prepare for the jump to hyperspace." She informed the crew as jump alarms began to blare.

Already the lead pickets had shot forwards, soon it would be the main force's turn.

The Bothan would be lying through her teeth if she said she wasn't nervous or even outright scared of what was to come. But she couldn't show fear, not in front of the crew.

Morale would _plummet_ if they thought she wasn't up to the task, orders would be followed but privately doubted.

Clones were obedient yes, but they were still sapient beings capable of independent thought and emotion, something many Republic officers and citizens seemed to not pick up on so far.

Exhaling softly to try and calm her nerves, Kelia watched as a _heavily_ modified blue and white Delta-7 _Aethersprite_ shot past her ship's bridge, making a direct line for the _Nevoota Bee_.

That _had_ to be Commander Skywalker, the Jedi the Chancellor had _personally_ directed be put in charge of directing the space battle, or at least the fighters in it.

She _hoped_ it was just the fighters...

The Bothan pursed her lips. She'd end up seeing firsthand whether it was cronyism or if the Chancellor's choice had merit.

"Sir? Is something wrong?" Came a voice from behind her, Kelia recognizing the exact tone as CT-42/122, now known as Sabre after an incident involving a brief lightfoil duel while a Tapani noble had been visiting the ship, walked up to her in full armor.

"Oh, Sergeant… I'm just wondering why some Jedi gets put in charge of all the fighters by the Chancellor of all people… It doesn't make sense, the Jedi are by peacekeepers by their own definition, not soldiers, and have been since Ruusan." She admitted after a few moments. "But who am_ I_ to question the leader of the Republic."

The Clone shrugged idly. "Hard to tell sir, don't know much about him myself."

Kelia sighed again and nodded. "Right, well I'll probably be in my quarters until we get close to Separatist space."

There was a brief pause, as if the Sergeant was about to say something, but then he simply nodded. "Sir." Sabre acknowledged as Kelia turned and walked off the bridge, hoping to get some downtime in before the alert status went up.

* * *

"Fierfek!" Kelia hissed as she leaned back in her chair, ripping her cap off and looking over the command structure yet again to make sure she wasn't having a nightmare as her fur rippled in dismay.

Apparently she'd been wrong, Skywalker was in complete command of the _entire_ space section of the operation.

What in the seven Bothan hells had possessed the Chancellor to give him _that_!?

Nevertheless, orders were orders, she just hoped Skywalker didn't step on too many feet. Chancellor's pick or not, people _would_ remember his actions during the battle over any favoritism from the leader of the Republic.

Well, they had a few hours to a day or so depending on transit time once they jumped into hyperspace, maybe she could head down to the blaster range and practice with her DC-15 pistol?

Or maybe get a workout in one of the gyms, though some part of her still felt mildly uncomfortable about the odd looks the Clones gave her.

Then again, _they_ were probably equally uncomfortable around her while she was in her PT uniform given how it clung to her body in ways her service uniform did not.

Another failing of Kamino's education program, which was basically to make men and send them off to die, not teach them about social interaction with non-clones or about sexuality of any kind despite the very likely possibility they'd work with non-clones and females.

Still, she'd noticed some of the nervous looks had been directed at eachother, whether about her or something else she didn't know, but without context it was impossible to tell.

She sighed and leaned back, before hearing a chime from her intercom. "Report."

["Sir, three squads of Commandos and their Clone advisors just came aboard, they have standing orders which are only for your eyes and ears."] Sabre reported over the comms.

Kelia sighed. "Roger, send them up to my office." She instructed, sighing and leaning back against the desk chair.

Great, just great, _another _complication.

* * *

**13:7:7 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Hyperspace.**

Kelia strode into her office not long after the jump to hyperspace.

Inside was the most molty group of Clones she'd yet seen, a yellow striped Commander in pristine standard armor, two red striped Captains, and twelve Commandos, their multicolored armor pocked and scarred from battle.

It wasn't the same as the standard armor being worn by the rank and file like the advisor either, it was bulkier and in some places more compact, more heavily protected, with a noticeable support backpack which apparently had mission specialized modifications.

The Clones eyed her from behind their visors, she could tell from the more casual body language that these men had seen female humanoids before at the least.

The Bothan sat down at her desk and folded her hands before her. "Alright, what's so important that you're practically commandeering my ship?"

The Commander, CC-01/425 according to the data on her desk terminal, stepped forwards. "As of now, this ship and its crew and complement have been temporarily reassigned to the jurisdiction of Republic Special Forces under General Arligan Zey for a special assignment during the invasion of Muunilist." The advisor informed her.

"Incase you're wondering, you basically got your number picked on the Jubilee Wheel more than anything else." One of the commandos, wearing dark grey and yellow painted armor with the presumed demolitions pack piped up, the lighter and more jovial pitch of his voice surprising Kelia due to how _different_ it sounded from the baseline Clones.

"Cut the chatter Six-Two." The green and white armored commando next to him ordered.

He eyebrow raised. "Alright, give it to me straight, exactly _what_ do you require my vessel to do?"

CC-01/425 turned to the other advisors, whom nodded at him, the Clone promptly pulling out a holopad and setting it on the table before turning it on, showing a diagram of a major city. "When the main operation begins, the _Kestrel_, two _Arquitens, _and three _Consulars_ are to break from the main formation and head down to the surface with the _RAS_ _Prosecutor_ to launch a strike against the research labs in Pilaan, which are said to be developing a new line of IG series droids based on the model 86 Sentinels. The main force will provide a diversion while Delta, Copper, and Foxhound squads enter the city and complete their objectives."

Kelia frowned. "Pilaan is one of the planet's largest cities, it _will_ be well defended." She pointed out.

"That's the beauty of it Captain, because it's a large city, it means that it's already earmarked for General Glynn Be'ti's forces to attack." The advisor replied as he swapped the holo to show the expected attack plans for Pilaan. "The Droids will be so busy with our main assault on the _front_ of the city that a group of warships coming in from behind will catch them _completely_ off guard."

The Bothan looked up at him with a wry grin. "Well, _now_ I can see your point."

If anything, the appearance of her warship leading a flotilla in atmosphere would cause the ill-trained Muuns to panic. Few, if _any_ of their officers, graduated from the PDF College of their own merits, instead buying out corrupt instructors and officials with promises of zero interest loans as favors.

It was less expensive to hire outsiders anyways.

It also meant that she, a _properly_ trained academy graduate, was better than the vast bulk of the IGBC's military leaders in every conceivable way.

She knew that a few exceptions existed though, so she still needed to be wary of getting overconfident.

"Right, we'll launch the operation after we break through the orbital blockade." She informed the advisor. "Has General Kenobi been informed?"

"Yes sir."

"And Commander Skywalker?"

"No sir."

The Bothan's lips curled upwards mirthfully. This was going to be amusing as all hell for her. "Well, you can count yourselves dismissed I guess, just avoid messing with my crew and there won't be any problems.

The Commandos and their advisors began to file out, a couple elbowing and joking with eachother as they did so.

Kelia leaned back, suddenly quite tired.

Maybe she should get some rest? A shower sounded nice too…

The intercom chimed again, Keila groaning as she took her cap off and grabbed a comb to quickly unfrazzled her hair before putting it back on. "Los'ean…" She stated flatly as she hit the button.

["Captain, we_ might_ have an issue…"] A Clone, one of the grunt troopers she realized after a moment, said squeamishly.

"What is it…?"

["A full-on brawl has just broken out on mess deck four…"]

Kelia was on her feet in a flash, fur rippling in surprise and anger as she headed out the door and rushed towards the closest turbolift.

The Clone guard at the door did a double take as he saw her leave, barely even getting his arm raised for a salute before she was gone.

* * *

The scene on mess deck four was nothing short of _chaos_ as a group of Torrent Fighter pilots was engaged in a full out fistfight with some ARF Troopers and AT-TE and TX-130 crews, a few LAAT crews and AV-7 gunners huddling off to the sides and glancing with concern at the fight in case it engulfed them as well.

Behind her, she could hear the footfalls of infantry troopers rushing to suppress the fight.

_That_ could easily turn it even more ugly, so she opted to make a command decision.

Snarling, Kelia unholstered her blaster and then fired a bolt into the ceiling, the high-pitched twang of the weapon going off causing the Clones to stop. "WHAT! IN! THE! ACTUAL! FEKKING! HELL! IS! GOING! ON!?" She bellowed as every single pilot and vehicle crewer involved in the brawl went pale. "EVERYONE WHO ISN'T KRIFFING BLEEDING, UNCONCIOUS, OR SUFFERING FROM A CONCUSSION, IN LINE! _**NOW**_!"

The Clones snapped to and formed into ranks while medics rushed in and tended to the wounded as Kelia strode up and down their ranks, Sabre and the four troopers she'd first met, having since taken the names Rori, Kel, Nax, and Quinn respectively, escorting them. "What, happened." She asked. "And tell the truth, because if I can't get it from you lot, the cook droids _won't_ lie to me."

And things had been running so smoothly as well.

"The jocks here called us 'dead weight' since we just sit around aboard the ship and do nothing." An AT-TE gunner, Yarder she remembered, said finally.

"And that incited a brawl?"

"With all due respect sir! This has been going on for two months! Hell, they've even vandalized our tanks and walkers!" An ARF Trooper, Fey, spoke up.

Kelia turned towards the pilots, her steely gaze freezing them in place. "And you lot, what's _your_ side of the story?"

Grey Four, Ulric, gestured at the ground pounders. "Bastards have been harassing us almost as long, calling us droidbait and flying targets! Said we're only useful for drawing fire away from the landers! Not to mention how they graffitied ready room nine _four_ times!"

The Bothan's blond fur rippled in dismay as she folded her arms under her sizable bustline. "Oh for the love of… Why exactly was I _not_ informed about this? How many of you on this ship knew what was going on and elected _not_ to inform me because you thought it wasn't that big a deal!?" She asked as she wheeled around to eye the bystanders, whom looked anywhere but at her.

A disheartening number of them as well.

So she turned her disappointment to anger and spun on the Clones responsible for the brawl.

"Whatever the case it doesn't matter at this point, because if you lot can't get your heads out of your shebs and work coherently, then your brothers in the infantry, gunships, artillery, and here on the ship suffer the consequences!" She said as she jabbed each clone in the front row in the chest in turn to punctuate her point. "I don't give a _damn_ what the circumstances were. But running a feud this long, and deliberately keeping it hidden this well from me despite my damndest to try and keep up a rapport with all of you and keep this ship running in top shape over the course of two months absolutely kriffing pisses me off!" She shouted. "Do you even _know_ what some officers would do to you lot over this!? They'd send you back to Kamino to be reconditioned!"

The Clones looked down, some shivering at the thought as Kelia sighed and strode back down the row. "Listen… If you have any grievances bring it up through me, fist fighting about it, especially on the eve of a major operation, is literally the _worst_ possible way to handle it. And now more than a few of our pilots and vehicle crewers will be down when we hit Munnilinst and it's your faults! Some of you or your brothers may be going in without gunners, drivers, or wingmen because none of you could stop and think that doing this was a _horrible_ idea! I can't be expected to be hovering over your shoulders at all times, that's why I _need_ you to come to me when things like this start to brew up!" She shouted as she jabbed a finger towards the impromptu triage situation for added emphasis.

Despair washed over the Clones as they looked over and watched the medics and medical droids haul off the wounded from the fight.

"Oh _fierfek_… She's right… What've we done…?" One of them muttered.

Kelia exhaled softly. "Thankfully… We're _not_ partaking in the frontal assault…" She whispered, giving them at least some sense of relief.

It was a small comfort, but there needed to be consequences. "I'd write you all up, but as your commanding officer, I have jurisdiction over you given we're about to enter combat. Therefore, anyone who…" She trailed off and steeled herself before continuing. "Who _survives_ will have their next leave rotation cancelled as punishment…"

It was harsher than she intended it to sound, but she couldn't guarantee that they'd all live through the engagement.

Hell, it pained her to _do_ this at all, but there needed to be consequences for dung like this since it reflected poorly on them, the rest of the crew, the ship, and herself.

"Understood, sir." The Clones stated in unison, counting themselves fortunate to have a CO who even _allowed_ them leave at all.

They were technically Republic property, not people, in the eyes of the law and therefore leave was not legally required to be given to them.

"Now… If any of you need me… I'll be trying to get some sleep… It's… This whole mess has left me a bit drained… I suggest any of you men who feels similarly to do the same while you still can, we decant over Muunilinst tomorrow. As for the lot of you, Commander Kursk and Commander Sharpe no doubt have their own opinions of your stunts, so report in to them next."

There was a small chorus of tired acknowledgements as she turned and strode away.

"You handled that well, better than my training sergeant would've." A Clone Commando said from the doorway as she approached.

Green and white armor, the one who told Delta Six-Two to can it back in the office.

"Part of me still thinks I'm at fault for not seeing the tensions right in front of myself before they blew up in my face." The bit of her that was pure Bothan was concerned about her reputation, as any self-respecting member of her species would be, but the rest was more concerned about the more _immediate_ repercussions it would have on the ship's combat effectiveness and on morale.

The failure to see something like this coming cut far deeper than she'd admit.

"It's a matter of perspective ma'am." The Clone replied. "You yourself said you can't attend to every issue at once, and for _why_ everyone hid it... Well... They're used to that. The Aiwha-bait would make entire _companies_ vanish for 'reconditioning' over relatively minor incidents like this because they think it means the batch is 'too aggressive' outside combat situations."

Kelia froze as a chill ran up her spine at the sheer _casualness_ of the way the Commando implied hundreds of men were euthanized over a _disagreement_ because they were deemed 'defective'.

"You alright ma'am?"

"Yeah, I guess so, that still doesn't make it _not_ an issue however… What's your name Commando?"

"RC-1140. Callsign Delta Four-Zero." He stated flatly.

"Your _name_. Not your _number_."

The Clone tilted his helmeted head curiously at her, having not encountered a birthborn officer who'd cared enough to openly ask for his nickname before.

"Fixer." The Commando said finally.

"Fixer… Fits you well, you're the one who keeps your squad orderly I'd assume given what occurred in my office."

"Six-Two tries to play comedian sometimes, whenever he's not trading barbs with Oh-Seven of course. I tend to like clear comms personally." Fixer explained.

"And _their_ names?"

"Scorch and Sev."

"I can at least assume as to why Sev got his name, there's at least _four_ other Sevs on this ship alone."

"He's not gonna like that." Fixer chuckled dryly.

"And your team leader?"

"Three-Eight? Well… We just call him Boss."

The Bothan nodded at Fixer. "Hmm… I'll have to ask the other commandos and your advisors for their names as well… When I have the time…" She said, failing to stifle a tired yawn.

"Get some rest in ma'am." Fixer told her. "Speaking from experience, you'll need it."

"I will." She said with a soft smile as she strode past him and headed for the turbolift that would take her back to the O decks where officers slept.

* * *

**13:7:8 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Hyperspace.**

Kelia went over the plan one final time after waking up, they had another few hours until they decanted, at which point she'd be needed on the bridge.

The operation was simple, the _Kestrel_ and _Prosecutor _would land troops towards the rear of Pilaan's defenses once the main forces had engaged, thus only a few units would be stationed there to oppose them.

A risky gamble, but one she could work with.

The big ticket issue was recon's report about the enemy orbital fleet.

The intercom chimed. "Los'ean." She acknowledged as she tapped the button on reflex.

["Sir, we're about the decant from hyperspace, you're needed on the bridge."] Perth informed her.

"Roger, I'll be on my way up." The Bothan replied as she slid out of her chair and adjusted her uniform.

The moment of truth was almost upon them.

A brief flash of guilt came over her, in the commotion regarding the deployment she'd forgotten that she'd wanted to prepare a message for Korsk in the event worst came to worst.

One he'd be able to show Litat when she got older.

Kelia shook slightly before calming herself down, smoothing out her neck fur after it'd rippled in response to the line of thought. She'd be fine, she'd get to see her husband and daughter again.

The important thing was that she needed to stay _calm_, otherwise she'd probably freeze up and get the entire crew killed.

And so she strode out of her room and headed for the bridge.

* * *

**13:7:8 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**.**

Perth nodded at Kelia as she stepped up to the trapezoidal forward viewports typical of the new Kuati designs. "How much longer until we jump out of hyperspace?" She asked him.

It hurt knowing he didn't want to tell her about the feud between the fighter and vic crews, but she understood why he was so reluctant given what Fixer had told her.

Still, she'd have to make time to address the crew properly about this when the battle was over.

"Approximately five minutes sir." He reported.

The Bothan pursed her lips, canid muzzle contorting slightly in concern. "Sound the battle stations alarm. Bring us up to full alert."

"Affirmative."

She exhaled softly, a small comfort at least. "Right, I want shields double front and targeting solutions for the main turbos and missile tubes, we're going to act as fire support until we punch a large enough hole in the defensive blockade for the assault forces to head in, at which point we'll follow the force assigned to Pilaan down."

"Sir!" Perth acknowledged as he snapped to and headed for the command information center.

Kelia wrung her hands at the small of her back as the combat siren blared though the _Kestrel's_ hull.

"_May the Force be with us…"_ She thought, remembering the old incantation that had long since lost its meaning to most denizens of the Galaxy.

And then the fleet decanted from hyperspace.

Before them sat the green and blue jewel of a world that was the center of the InterGalactic Banking Clan's financial assurances of the Galactic Credit.

Muunilinst.

And above it sat the twenty-eight IGBC gun platforms, twenty-four Trade Fed _Lucrehulk_-class carrier battleships, thirty _Captor_-class light carriers, ninety IGBC _Munificent_-class 'star frigates', forty Commerce Guild _Recusant_-class 'support destroyers', fifty Techno Union _Grandcell_-class frigates, twenty Corporate Alliance _Fantail_-class destroyers, ten _Providence_-class carrier/destroyers and an array of smaller escorts like Trade Federation C-9949 patrol ships, C-9979B Gunboats, and _Lupus_-class missile frigates, _Gozanti_ 'cruisers', Techno Union _Hammer_-class pickets, and Banking Clan _Unstinting_-class escort gunships.

Exactly as recon reported.

And all unfortunately directly in their path, albeit still outside of effective turbolaser range.

With those numbers the enemy _easily_ outmatched them due to how ill-suited the standard _Acclamators_ were for space combat.

Worse still, she could already see the countless dots of Vulture droids, Hyena strike bombers, Jackal droid advanced bombers, Condor droid advanced fighters, Scarab Fighters, Mechanized Attack Flyers, and a _horde_ of _Nantex_-class beakwing starfighters streaming towards them.

Out from the bays of the Republic warships swarmed forth a tide of V-19 Torrents and _Cord_-class fighters, with a few Delta-7 _Aethersprites_ mixed in for good measure.

The Kestrel's fighters on the other hand remained safely aboard; Kelia's standing orders were to preserve them for combat on the planetary surface if at all possible.

Three hundred V-19s would catch the defenders completely off-guard, likely expecting the ship's complement to be up in the space battle.

Maybe even make a difference if she could deploy them to provide CAS for the ground troops.

Given the way Skywalker's Delta-7 was cutting through the droids according to the tactical screens, she doubted they would be missed all that much up here either.

Still, with that fleet in the way… Even with the ships they had, taking on a force like that was suicidal as the dedicated warships on their side were _woefully_ outnumbered.

She cranked her mind trying to figure out what to do, the enemy warships were in a _defensive_ posture, meaning their intent was to block the attack when it came.

A safe bet but one that gave the attacker the initiative.

The issue was the bulk of the Republic capital ships consisted of over two hundred _Acclamator_-class vessels…

_Acclamators_...

Her eyes widened further as she remembered the armaments of the type. A stroke of brilliance flaring into her mind's eye.

"Get me a line to Commander Skywalker!" She ordered, whirling about on her heel.

"Yes sir!" The comms tech acknowledged.

["This is Skywalker, what's the meaning of this call?"] The Jedi asked as he picked up after a few moments, sounding more than a little annoyed.

He also sounded _younger_ than she expected him to.

Kelia couldn't fault him for the annoyance though, he _was_ in a pitched dogfight after all. "Commander, I have an idea as to how to crack the main blockade."

["Well"] There was a brief pause as Anakin grunted, probably due to a near miss. ["Let's hear it."]

"The assault ships are loaded to bear with high bore proton torpedoes." She explained. "If we fire a unified barrage…"

["It'll pierce right through them and wipe out most of, if not the _entire_ blockade.."] The Jedi finished for her, the Bothan being able to imagine the smug grin on his face. ["I like it. I'll leave firing command up to you Captain, just notify me beforehand so I can direct our squadrons to get clear before the barrage begins."]

Kelia nodded. "Roger."

Turning to the comms officer with a smirk on her face. "Pricer, get me a hololine to the _Nevoota Bee_."

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**RAS **_**Nevoota Bee**_**, Muunilist System.**

Obi-Wan Kenobi couldn't say that he wasn't impressed by this Captain Los'ean's ingenuity after she informed him of her plan, which had been pre-approved by Anakin of course.

Not surprising there, his Padawan always did favor bold and aggressive action.

The Jedi found it rather creative to be honest though. There wasn't really much they planned on using the torpedoes for beforehand and she'd additionally suggested that potential damage to the planet's surface could be mitigated by setting the warheads to detonate on contact with the upper atmosphere.

He made his decision.

"Very well. Clear the firing lines, we're transferring timing control to your ship." He informed her.

The miniature holographic representation of Kelia Los'ean saluted. ["Understood. _Kestrel_ out."]

Turning back to the forward bridge viewscreens, Obi-Wan slowly rubbed his bearded chin, waiting patiently for the attack to begin.

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**Muunilinst System.**

["Ten."]

Kelia clenched her fists, knuckles turning white under her fur and black gloves as her heart pounded in her chest.

* * *

["Nine."]

Anakin cut around a flight of Mechanized Attack Flyers, ripping them apart with the _Azure Angel's_ laser cannons before moving on to a flight of Vultures, a mix of old Trade Federation tan and newer CIS blue and white markings on the incoming droids.

Smirking, Anakin hammered the firing stubs, cutting a number of the droids apart as his fighter screamed into the merge.

* * *

["Eight."]

Boss crossed his arms as he and the rest of the Deltas watched out a viewport on the _Kestrel's_ superstructure, waiting for the attack to begin in earnest.

Scorch in particular was _overly_ eager to see the fireworks start.

* * *

["Seven."]

Master Glynn Be'ti stared at the tactical holotank as she stood on the bridge of the RAS _Candaserri_, waiting for the countdown to end.

* * *

["Six."]

Captain Fordo checked his DC-17 heavy variant pistol's extended cooling shrouds to ensure they were functional as he and the rest of his unit awaited their deployment aboard the _Nevoota Bee_.

* * *

["Five."]

In the Harnadian Citadel, San Hill and the rest of the CIS high leadership on the planet watched the holotable nervously as the Republic's assault ships took positions front and center across from their own defensive fleet, still outside battery range.

* * *

["Four."]

Aboard the _Resolute_, Admiral Wullf Yularen raised an eyebrow. The Captain who'd come up with this inspired tactic was an Anaxes graduate like himself.

And it brought a wry grin to his face as he realized that maybe there _was_ hope for the Navy yet.

* * *

["Three."]

CC-2237, Oddball, brought his V-19 around as he and his wingmen tore into a flight of Hyenas that pushed their luck a bit too far before breaking away with the rest of the squadrons still in the line of fire and making a beeline for the safe zones at max acceleration.

* * *

["Two."]

The Gen'dai bounty hunter Durge crossed his massive arms over his armored torso as he loomed over the CIS command staff from the shadows, waiting to see what would happen.

* * *

["One."]

A predatory sneer briefly crossed Kelia's face as the targeting solutions were confirmed and transmitted.

It was time.

* * *

["Fire."]

As one, two hundred _Acclamators_ each fired their heavy bombardment torpedo tubes, four each on the starboard and port sides, filling the stars with warheads that soared towards the Separatist fleet defending Muunilinst, a few of the munitions colliding with droid fighters and wiping out entire squadrons with the resulting detonations even as the drive trails of hundreds more streaked towards the enemy warships

With those launched, the assault ships fired a _second_ full salvo. With a third and fourth salvo fired next, followed by a fifth and final one to be the coup de grace.

A total of _sixty-four hundred _high yield assault bore proton torpedoes, which were soon joined by salvos of further warheads from the _Venators_, _Arquitens_, and _Gladiators_, tore into the enemy warships, many of which tried to evade the incoming warheads to no avail given their engines had been running cold when they tried to begin moving.

And the results were nothing short of a _spectacle_ as an immense field of explosions rippled into being.

* * *

The Muun Admiral commanding the defense force barely had time to raise his arms in a futile attempt to defend himself as a torpedo blew apart the bridge tower of his flagship, the _Lucrehulk_-class command battleship _Capital Investment_. Soon after, another salvo of warheads tore into the 'arms' of his ship before a final cluster of torpedos delivered the finishing to the core ship's now exposed reactor, shattering it in a brilliant explosion which chained off into the main drives and burst the three kilometer diameter ship apart even as the surrounding vessels died in short-lived balls of fire.

* * *

From his cockpit, Anakin stared in mute shock as the_ entire_ CIS blockade simply ceased to exist as a fighting force, leaving behind only debris in addition to _fourteen _of the orbital gun platforms and the remaining droid wings.

He'd expected the plan to do damage, but never _this_ much.

His jaw slowly shut as a smarmy grin graced his features.

Maybe this Captain Los'ean wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

**RAS **_**Nevoota Bee**_**, Muunilinst System.**

Obi-Wan stared at the utter devastation enacted upon the enemy fleet as the full extent of the damage dealt became apparent. "Well… She's made quite the _mess_ now hasn't she…" He mused softly to himself with a humored smile on his face. "Captain, relay the order for the landing forces to move in. It's time to begin our assault."

"Yes sir." The Clone Naval Officer acknowledged.

* * *

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Muunilinst System.**

Kelia's breath hitched in her chest as she watched the debris that remained of the Separatist warships and gun platforms the barrage had destroyed scatter across space.

She'd done it… She'd _actually_ done it.

Snapping out of her surprise, Kelia turned her head and nodded at Perth as the assault ships, transports and some of their escorts moved to close with the planet to begin landing their invasion army.

"Helm! Bring us in on an entry course that'll take us to the vicinity of Pilaan. Comms, inform the other ships assigned to our special mission to follow our lead."

"Sir!"

"Sir!"

The Bothan turned to look back out the viewport as the planet loomed ever larger as they approached it and felt a bit of pride surge in her chest, a spur of the moment decision of hers had shifted the tide of the battle.

_She_ had shifted the tide of the battle.

Maybe… Just maybe… Those old statements about the right person in the right place making all the difference had merit to them.

* * *

**AN: And that's chapter two done.**

**Originally, I planned for **_**twenty**_** salvos to be fired by the **_**Acclamators**_**.**

**Then I realized how absurdly overkill that was, nothing short of the literal Death Star would've survived a barrage of that magnitude in any shape since each unified salvo from 200+ **_**Acclamators**_** is **_**EIGHT HUNDRED **_**planetary bombardment grade proton torpedoes, torpedoes both far larger and more powerful than the Krupx MG7s used to attack the**_** Malevolence**_**, the Death Star, and in Disney Canon, Starkiller base.**

**Meaning twenty salvos would be _thirty-two_**_** thousand**_** warheads fired.**

**Absolutely absurd. So it's still an Itano Circus style Macross Missile Massacre, but one of much _lower_ proportions than was originally (un)intended.**

**Also, yeah, the Kaminoans are that obtuse at times.**

**Notably in legends they euthanized an entire company of clones for having less than 20/20 vision because they didn't meet absurdly exacting standards rather than, y'know, doing something smart like reassigning them to a role where their more limited eyesight would still be useful and thus not wasting the time and effort put into them.**

**Morons, the lot of them, I can fault Skirata and his lot for a lot of things; but hating the Kaminoans isn't one of them.**

**Anyways, the Clone brawl coming out of left field was something of a spur of the moment thing to pass the time, and it turned into a moment to build up more about the Clones and how Kelia views them.**

**In order to justify it without a lengthy buildup, I had to drop hints, tells that something was off but that wouldn't make sense without context.**

**This let me keep it in and have it make some reasonable sense, especially with Fixer's statements providing the context for _why_ the Clones were being so evasive about it.**

**That said, this won't be the last time something like this happens, which gives me more time to plan out far more impactful versions if need be.**

**Oh, right, the C-9949 is basically the Trade Federation patrol ship originally seen in a Star Wars comic but later used for Republic at War as a CIS screening corvette, the _Hammer_-class picket is also from... Something, IDK if it's fanon or something from a comic but it's in RaW as well.**

**Moving on, the _Grandcell_ is the Techno Union frigate seen in some Empire at War mods, the _Unstinting_-class escort is basically a combat grade version of the Banking Clan shuttle seen in the comic 'Foreclosure', the Condor Advanced Droid Fighter is the Advanced Droid Fighter for the Trade Federation from Galactic Battlegrounds, and the Jackal Droids are the droid bombers from the Star Wars Starfighter/Battle of Naboo series.**

**Basically I just gave the last two names so they can be readily identified like the Vulture and Hyena.**

**Copper and Foxhound squads are just names I picked out, and as for the _Acclamators_ having eight tubes, well...**

**That's how many they apparently have according to Republic Commando, especially since sourcebook armaments lists are rather arbitrary and dumb sometimes.**

_**Looks at the ISD's entire armament consisting of XX-9 Turbolasers like the ones on the Death Star according to some**_**_ books when that clearly isn't the case_.**


	3. Pilaan Insertion

**AN: Next chapter I guess, now we're getting into the real meat of the action.**

**And yeah, there's a **_**lot**_** of Clones on Muunilinst right now, urban assaults against major cities in World War II, which Star Wars takes **_**heavy**_** inspiration from, often involved troops in the order of two hundred thousand men, with the higher ends at battles such as Stalingrad and Berlin involving 2 **_**million**_** soldiers on the part of the attacking Soviet army. It's just relative to the importance of a given target, many systems might not warrant more than a couple **_**Venators**_** worth of troops, six to eight thousand at **_**most**_**, given low population and strategic priority.**

**Others might warrant **_**ten million**_** or more, and this is spread out across the entire Galaxy as countless battles, assaults, raids, and skirmishes take place concurrently **_**every**_**, **_**single**_**,**_** day**_**.**

**Not every engagement sees **_**any**_** Clones or Droids either, many of them are fought between opposing groups of PDF units, including some sector forces undergoing civil war as some worlds join the CIS while others remain aligned with the Republic.**

**But the vast majority are fought with heavy involvement from the GAR and Droid Army.**

**EDIT: Made some minor edits here and there to improve flow.**

**And fixed the post-script AN because whoops, meant to refer to Chapter 2, not _this _one.**

* * *

**"Pilaan? Pilaan was a kriffing dungshow from the start, idiotic orders to divert attention at any cost, an improper force deployment plan... Captain Los'ean did the best she could with the situation, but she's no ground pounder. Not by a longshot. Do I hold it against her? Not really, everyone on the _Kestrel_ knew the operation was karked even before the Commandos ran into the Holowan Security units."-KS-42/122, postwar interview.**

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**Muunilinst, Muunilinst System.**

Streams of LAAT gunships and tank dropships, wedge grouped formations of _Acclamator_-class assault ships, scattered triads of CR20 and CR25 Dropships, _Pelta_-class transport frigates, with more than a few of the _Arquitens _and _Consulars_ mixed among them, and spread out squadrons V-19 Torrent Fighters roared into Muunilinst's atmosphere. The landing forces breaking into clusters that each headed for the designated target cities.

Above and behind the landing troops, the RAS _Prosecutor _and RSS _Kestrel_, with two _Arquitens_-class light cruisers, and three _Consular_-class corvettes in escort formation remained well above the rest, following the invasion group led by the _Candasseri_ towards the city of Pilaan.

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Muunilinst, Muunilinst System.**

Kelia frowned as she watched the initial landings being pioneered by General Glynn Be'ti's 38th Strike Legion and its brethren units attached to the 88th and 203rd Assault Corps advance upon the city from the south-west, where they were swiftly opposed by tens of thousands of B1 and B2 battle droids backed by OG-9 Homing Spiders, AAT-1s, HAG Artillery units, AMT anti-air tanks, GAT fighter tanks, NR-N99 snail tanks, DSD1 and DSD-A Dwarf Spiders, STAP airhook speeder units, the Banking Clan's own trademark hoop-wheeled IG-227 Hailfires, gunship type Mechanized Attack Flyers, Vulture and Condor Droids covering Hyena and Jackal bombers, and even a small number of the CIS's deadly new Protodekas among countless other types in the Separatist arsenal, the droid vehicles a mixed hodgepodge of their prior corporate use colors and CIS blue and white in contrast to the unified reds and white/grey of the Republic AT-TEs, AT-PTs, AT-SEs, AT-PWs, AT-RTs, TX-130s, BARCs, 74-Zs, RTT-04s, LAAT/i gunships, LAAB/e Gunship Bombers, AAV-3 Anti-Air tanks, and HAVw A5 Juggernauts.

Both forces slammed into eachother, exchanging missiles, shells, and energyfire as they fought for supremacy, Clones seeking shelter and firing from what cover they could find while the droids marched in the open, uncaring of their losses.

The natural outlier among the GAR ranks were of course the sandy-grey SPHA-Ts now beginning to deploy in force from the landed _Acclamators_, and which were steadily advancing behind the main line of armor and infantry with the AV-7s, operating in indirect mode to maximize weight of fire per cannon charge.

Behind even that line, more specialized artillery units and other support elements such as medical and engineering detachments were setting up.

"How much longer do we need to give it sir?" CRC-23/909, Kursk, asked her, his helmet off for once.

The Bothan shrugged as she tapped the chin of her canid muzzle as she continuing looking at the advancing unit markers on the holotable. "Hard to tell, in any case it's the _Prosecutor's_ call. Not ours."

"Understood." The Clone acknowledged as he and CC-552/67, Tecs, waited next to her for the orders to go in from the rear with the rest of the 608th Mobile Regiment and the two brigades aboard the _Prosecutor_.

Kelia sighed and leaned over the holotable, watching helplessly as the battle raged on below. They'd been hovering here for half an hour, waiting.

All this firepower and no good use for it, either up there with Skywalker and Oshid-Jin in the space battle, or down here in the dirt with Kenobi, Monn, and Be'ti.

The holographic projection of Delta Squad's advisor suddenly flashed into being in full life-sized scale, the Commandos and their advisors having transferred back to the CR25 troop carrier in the ventral hangar that brought them aboard. ["This is advisor callsign 'Delta Actual' to RSS _Kestrel_, we are go for Operation: _Bank Run_. When the operation commences you are to divert the maximum number of droids away from the Holowan Mechanicals development facility by any means necessary, even by landing in the city if so required."]

_That_ was the operation name? Stars, she could've come up with something less on the nose in her sleep. "Roger." Kelia acknowledged. "We'll begin launching fighters and gunships while the _Prosecutor_ deploys her troops in support of the operation."

["Copy that, 'Delta Actual' out."] The advisor stated as his holo winked out of existence.

She never did learn what his name was.

Turning towards the bow of the ship, she watched as the first waves of V-19s rippled from the flight deck as the _Kestrel_ and the rest of the flotilla descended towards the North-East side of Pilaan, which was sparsely defended at _worst_.

Gunships followed the first wave of fighters as Kelia exhaled softly.

"Lower cannons, open fire on predesignated zones." She ordered.

The vibrations from the ventral medium turbos echoed through the ship's hull as they spat deadly hyper-ionized bolts towards fortifications, hangar buildings, and droid foundry exit gates with lethal precision.

Scattered sprays of laserfire rippled up to meet the _Kestrel_ as she broke through the cloud layer, doing little to no damage to her shielding.

The guns that fired on her were quickly silenced by retaliatory shots from the turbolasers.

Kelia strode up to the fore of the bridge and glanced down at the city below, watching the holographic representations of the gunships being used to transport the Commando squads slip in under heavy cover even as the ground troops from the _Prosecutor_ advanced.

"Commander, Major, order your men to stand by for ground assault." She stated firmly.

It was nothing short of obscenely stupid but it was the only thing guaranteed to attract the attention of ground forces to them.

Kursk and Tecs snapped to attention and saluted. "Sir yes sir!" They replied in unison as she began looking for their LZ.

She saw it quickly enough, a massive loading area intended for a group of C-9979s sitting next to the exits of a droid factory, which continued streaming troops towards the frontlines.

Kelia's eyes narrowed.

"Fire Control. Target the factory exits and every droid in the area and open fire."

"Sir!"

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**Pilaan Command Center, Pilaan, Muunilinst, Muunilinst System.**

The Muun leadership in the city stared in horror as the _Kestrel_ descended _inside_ the city's limits and began to offload troops and vehicles after wiping out the surface exits for one of the city's factories and carving what appeared to be trench lines out of the ground with her weapons.

The forces leaving said factory had been utterly annihilated in the process.

"A three-pronged attack!? What do we do!? Our main forces are still engaging their diversionary troops!" One of the Banking Clan officials gasped, getting the situation entirely wrong.

"We must launch a counter-offensive!" Another urged.

"With what units!?" The third official at the table asked them. "All of our forces are engaged with the two main attack groups and with the!"

"Deploy the new units!" A fourth official shouted, slamming their fist on the table.

"There's too few of them, we need more time to fill up the warehouses!" The second pointed out.

"Then use the Lancer Droids with as many B1s, B2s, and Spider Droids as we can muster!"

"There aren't enough swoop bikes, all of them were diverted to Harnadian at that Bounty Hunter's request!" The first protested.

"Then send them on foot you imbecile! This is a _city_! Use the terrain against the attackers! Keep streaming droids at them if possible, I want that ship pinned down!"

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel **_**landing site, Pilaan, Muunilinst, Muunilinst system.**

Sabre frowned as he swept his vision across the no-being's land separating the _Kestrel_ from the surrounding city, dug in AT-TEs, EWHB-12 heavy repeating blasters, mortar tubes, tripod mounted Minimag proton torpedo launchers, AV-7s and AV-9s forming a haphazard perimeter around the ship, which also had its lateral gunports and anti-fighter laser cannons to provide organic defense.

The quick setup had been partially due to the espirit de corps fostered in the 608th as a result of Captain Los'ean's constant concern for her troops.

She cared, and they'd repay the favor by not letting her down.

Bringing up his electrobinoculars, the Clone Sergeant saw several companies of B1s and B2s, backed by Dwarf Spiders and a bunch of IG series droids he'd never seen before bearing down on him.

"Incoming!" He shouted just as laserfire burst from several of the surrounding skyscrapers, apartment buildings and office complexes, a Clone Gunner on the turret of an AT-TE, Torval, going limp and slumping to the side as a sniper's bolt pierced his reinforced helmet while a trooper rushing past a mortar piece took a hit to the shoulder and spun to the ground, another Clone crawling over to him and dragging him away even as more brothers went down.

This was FUBAR from the start, but they didn't have much choice otherwise the Commandos could get overwhelmed by the enemy infantry responding to alerts from the Holowan facility.

The 608th had two _thousand_ men plus vehicle, artillery, and air support.

By the Commandos had a combined total of only twelve men against an entire city's internal defense lines.

Even quality couldn't beat quantity with those kinds of odds.

Taking cover, Sabre picked up an imaging scanner and peered over the trench wall, spotting and marking dozens of scattered signatures in the surrounding buildings before keying up his wrist mounted comlink. "Captain! Enemy snipers and anti-armor crews have taken up residence in the surrounding buildings!"

["Is there anyone else in that area?"] Kelia asked, her voice unusually icy.

He checked again, seeing only the droids. "Uh, no sir." The Sergeant replied. "Completely empty as far as I can see aside from the combatants shooting at us." He reported.

["Good."] She stated flatly.

A dull whirr issued from over his head, the Clone rolling onto his back to see what was causing that.

It was the _Kestrel's_ four port side dual DBY-827 heavy turbolaser turrets training on the cityscape from which the incoming fire was originating from.

"Oh kriff." Sabre whispered.

And then the cannons spoke their piece, sending piercing blue-white bolts of hyper-ionized plasma and gas-particle energy racing towards the offending structures just as an incoming rocket narrowly missed an AT-TE's command cabin and simply detonated harmlessly on the ground near the vehicle as the walker continued backing up.

The results were nothing short of horrifyingly spectacular as skyscrapers three to four times as tall as the _Kestrel _was long simply _evaporated_ wherever the turbos hit them, leaving massive structural voids that quickly collapsed in on themselves, damaging or outright destroying neighboring buildings in the process as the centuries old towers fell.

Followup salvos from the lateral gunport turbos silenced any survivors and collapsed the remaining buildings even before the dust and debris began to settle.

And yet, the damn droids kept advancing from within the cloud, spraying blasterfire all the way, though the Clones were now at least able to poke their heads up and assist the ship's lateral and superstructure mounted anti-fighter guns in engaging the incoming Separatist troops with their weapons.

The thumps of mortars, AT-TE mass driver guns, and heavy and light artillery pieces filled his ears even though his helmet's noise suppression systems, drowning out the twangs of DC-15 series weapons, Z-6 rotary blaster cannons, Valken-38 repeating blaster rifles, and E-Webs as streams of outgoing blue bolts shot past the ingoing red bolts.

"_Kriffing special forces, this better be worth it."_ The Clone Sergeant thought ruefully as a Trooper next to him, O'rin, went down as a bolt caught him in the torso, another Clone leaning down to check him before waving over a medic to tend to his blaster wound, helpfully dispersed by his armor, even as the others kept up the outgoing fire.

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**Pilaan Streets, Pilaan, Muunilinst, Muunilinst System.**

Three LAAT/i gunships soared low through the streets of Pilaan, adding brief bursts of noise to the eerie din of the distant battles.

* * *

Aboard the gunship callsign 'Harken' Delta squad checked their weapons yet again, Scorch lifting a PLX-1 launcher and slinging it next to his pack.

Four special ops troopers clad in dark grey armor and wearing their distinct finless helmets with massive protective 'headphone' sets of the type also for long-range comms Troopers, stood nearby, holding Westar M5 rifles at low-ready.

_Their_ job was to keep the gunships safe.

Delta's advisor's holoprojection flared to life. ["Alright Deltas, the mission is simple, you're to infiltrate the Holowan Mechanicals Development Labs and figure out what they were testing there in concert with Copper and Foxhound squads."]

"With all due respect Advisor, three teams sounds a bit like overkill." Boss pointed out gruffly.

The advisor paused. ["The Bothan spynet contact on the ground who provided us with this information will give you a more thorough overview of the situation, there's some things that can't be said over even an encrypted channel Delta Three-Eight. I'll be on hand to provide situation updates and to issue new orders as required."]

"Copy that." Boss acknowledged.

["Roger, advisor out."] The Clone Commander said before his holo shut off.

"Sounds kinda shifty." Scorch jested lightly.

"Shifty doesn't even begin to cover this Scorch. Three teams for a single op? Whatever we're after has either one-droid-army or Jedi-killer written all over it." Sev muttered as he took a second sidearm, a DC-17 hand blaster, and locked it to the attachment strip on his left thigh.

"Oh… Well, now I'm actually kinda scared." Scorch muttered as decided to take some additional droid poppers and a Prax Arms AXM-50 blaster rifle with attached Locris Model MGL-1 launcher underneath the barrel before tossing that weapon to Sev, whom nodded in thanks.

Fixer picked up a DP-23 scatter blaster and slung it over his own shoulder. "Better to be safe than sorry then, anything worth sending three Commando teams to one location over shouldn't be taken lightly."

Boss nodded and picked up a T-7 Ion Disruptor, slinging the weapon over his shoulder as their gunship began to descend, before he took a second pistol like the others. "Agreed."

* * *

The three gunships settled down in a half-circle as a brown furred Bothan male walked out from behind cover, wearing dark grey padded combat armor, minus helmet.

"You're our contact?" Boss asked as he strode up, Delta following him with Copper and Foxhound not far behind.

"Indeed. I've been seconded to Republic Intelligence from the Spynet. Refer to me as Korsk for now." The Bothan stated. "Anyway, your mission objective."

The Clones gathered around as a white and violet R2 unit rolled up and projected a holo image of a droid type they hadn't seen before. "What is it?" Snake, the leader of Foxhound squad asked. "Looks like an old Krath droid."

"According to internal documents I acquired it's called the IG-100 series Magnaguard, intended to serve as bodyguards for high ranking separatist leaders… Ostensibly at least."

"And the reality?" Denim, leader of Copper squad asked.

"The reality is that they're intended to combat Jedi, the type's combat subroutines include a heavy emphasis on melee combat, and their primary weapons are electrostaves made from lightsaber resistant phirik alloy. They also boast substantial redundant systems and duranium alloy plating to make them difficult to disable with a single attack while also being resistant to lightsaber strikes and blasterfire alike. Explosives and heavy blasters or laser cannons are the only hard counter_ I_ can come up with that'll put them down quickly." Korsk stated, causing Scorch to hold tightly onto the strap of his PLX-1 while Foxhound's demolitionist, Raven, hefted his Z-6 rotary.

"Sounds wonderful." Boss muttered sardonically. "I suppose our job is to recover samples for intelligence to pour over?"

"That's the gist of it, Republic High Command is worried sick about these things, and they want to see further intelligence on the type beyond the listed specs."

"Too bad Alpha-77's team is already earmarked for a different Op; we could've used the help. Even from some ARC Troopers." Boss said with a shrug. "The Republic thanks you for your assistance."

He shrugged. "I've been effectively hired long-term anyways. Ah, one question… What's the name of that 'Star Destroyer' that landed towards the North-Eastern droid foundry?"

"The _Kestrel_." Scorch stated.

Boss and Fixer exchanged a glance, both wondering what the term 'Star Destroyer' meant, though they presumed it referred to large vessels like the _Kestrel_ that weren't quite battlecruisers but were bigger than heavy cruisers like the _Acclamator_ or _Dreadnaught_.

"Something wrong?" Sev asked him, having spotted the brief flash of worry on Korsk's face.

"No, nothing." The Bothan said dismissively. "I'll be acting as your coordinator to direct the gunships in when the time is right." Korsk stated as he hopped aboard 'Harken', the three LAATs lifting off as the Commandos began to trudge towards the Holowan Mechanicals facility after their waypoints were updated.

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**Pilaan Airspace, Pilaan, Muunilinst, Muunilinst System.**

The V-19 Torrents of Mage and Golem squadrons banked and dove down on the latest companies of droids advancing on the _Kestrel_, tearing into them with their laser cannons before pulling up and angling over the ship to set up their next run.

["How many did we get on that one?"] Mage Four, Osk, asked as they came about.

["Hard to tell, I think Mage Two got the most that time."] Mage Leader, Clown, stated flatly.

["Trigger again!"] Mage Five, Count, grumbled.

["Just quietly plugging away."] Mage Three, Tabloid, noted.

Trigger smirked behind his helmet and rolled his fighter around.

["Attention all squadrons, this is fighter control, incoming Droids heading your way."] The _Kestrel's_ port-side tower, housing fighter control, reported.

["Well, looks like the tinnies decided they don't want our ship blowing up their big expensive skyscrapers anymore."] Golem Lead, Knocker, chuckled softly.

["All wings, form up and lets take 'em down."] Clown ordered as Mage Squadron and Golem squadron, joined promptly by Skeleton and Gargoyle squadrons, formed up and moved to engage.

The force of Hyenas and Vultures driving towards them were set upon even before the fighters could engage by the three _Consulars_ that were assigned to the spec ops 'diversion' force, the Corellian made vessels tearing a third of their number from the sky and scattering the rest, whom were pounced upon by the more organized Clone Pilots in their Verpine-designed Torrent Fighters.

The religious perfectionism of the Xi Charrians versus the technical aptitude of the Verpine, the mechanical creations of one insectoid race against another.

In the case of the Torrents, it all came down to the Clone Pilots being superior to their droid equivalents in terms of skill.

["Wooh yeah! I feel _good_!"] Golem Four, Fawn, shouted as he downed his third Vulture.

["Yeah yeah, just keep your head on or you're toast!"] Skeleton Two, Jangles, snapped at him as more droid fighters joined the twisting and coiling furball, including a few of the horrendously obsolete Scarab droids.

["They just keep coming! How much material did they stockpile for this!?"] Someone complained aloud.

Trigger didn't disagree with the sentiment.

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Pilaan, Muunilinst, Muunilinst System.**

Kelia snarled as she watched several AATs, OG-9s and GATs join the latest group of droids. "They must've diverted them via secondary factory outlets. This is _bad_." She growled, noting that two AT-TEs and an AV-7 had already been knocked out thanks to the sudden appearance of armor and vehicle droids before the offenders were cut down by concentrated fire from the ship's anti-fighter laser cannons. "Where are the troops from the _Prosecutor_!?"

"They're about three klicks away, droid lines completely collapsed in the face of their assault." Comms reported.

She sighed in relief. "Thank the Force for small mercies. We just have to hold out until they get here then."

At this rate they would've been overrun within the hour due to the need to keep half of the troops guarding the other side of the ship in the event they got flanked.

If the droids were about to smash through one side then the other could withdraw inside and defend the interior of the ship until they lifted off.

It wasn't the most forgiving strategy ever, but it was the best one for a karked up situation they never should've been forced into to keep the Commando teams going for Holowan alive.

In either case the _Prosecutor's_ complement would find the city easy pickings since the Muuns had apparently panicked and thrown most of their troops not already intended to hold Glynn Be'ti's forces back against the _Kestrel_, almost entirely ignoring the _Prosecutor_.

"_Di'kuts_." She chuckled, earning several confused stares from the Clones, most of whom didn't know their CO was somewhat fluent in _Mando'a_ thanks to Clan Aean's history. "What's the status of the forward attack?"

"General Be'ti is forcing their frontlines back."

"And at Harnaidan?"

The Clone glanced at her pensively. "Well… It's... Complicated."

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**Harnaidan, Muunilinst, Muunilinst System.**

Flames billowed into the sky as Clone Troopers fighting from the wrecks of AV-7 and SPHA-T artillery pieces fired upon the IG Lancers that had surrounded them, only a few managing to score hits due to the speed of the swoops the droids rode.

Durge scoffed behind his helmet, these Clones were capable, but they were just pale shadows of what true Mandalorians were.

Still, killing them would suffice for now, all the real Mandos were either scattered across the galaxy or lazing about around Keldabe and its free zone and not giving a damn about Sundari's expulsion order.

Not like the New Mandos could enforce that order anyways, as much as Durge would've liked it for the sheer irony of it all.

Though if Pre Vizla's new sect of Death Watch ever took off…

The Gen'Dai managed a painful grin behind his cybernetically affixed helmet.

Dooku would have to pay _exceptionally_ well for him to stick with the CIS then, unless the little arrangement the Count was making went sour and Death Watch went from nominal ally to enemy.

Several explosions turned his attention back to Separatist lines, watching as infantry droid formations were mown down and heavier units and vehicles shredded by power lances and magnetic charges as Clone Lancer Troopers astride 105-K swoop bikes tore through the ranks of the advancing CIS troops.

At their head, a man wearing a mix of Clone Armor and Jedi robes.

"_This should be _fun_… Haven't killed a Jedi in over a century."_ Durge thought with a dark chuckle as he spun his custom swoop bike around, his IG Lancer Corps forming ranks on command and leveling their lances as they prepared to charge.

Directly ahead of them, the Republic forces were doing the same.

At two hundred meters he could sense the heartbeats of the Republic forces thanks to the acute senses afforded to him by his species' physiology, he could almost _feel_ how many of the Clones were pumped on adrenaline.

If they wanted this fight, he'd give it to them, if they died screaming all the better. But they weren't his priority.

His focus was on the island of calm, the steady heartbeat of the Jedi.

He'd prove to count Dooku he was better than that damned lizard in every way.

And then both sides collided in a cacophony of crashing metal, blood, and fire as the jousting began.

Exactly as the psychotic Gen'Dai liked it.

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**Holowan Mechanicals Development Facility, Pilaan, Muunilinst, Muunilinst System.**

"Was it red, red, green or red, green, red?" Scorch muttered as he fiddled with a demolition pack.

Power had been cut thanks to the _Kestrel_ accidentally hitting the facility's backup generators with her turbolaser airstrikes before landing, preventing Fixer from just slicing the door terminal.

An annoyance but it also meant that internal security would be offline.

Only emergency lighting operating on the facility's backup batteries remained on.

"And _we're sure_ he's supposed to be the demolitions expert?" Sev asked only partly jokingly as he thumbed over at Scorch while scanning about.

"Cut the chatter Deltas." Boss ordered as he peered out from behind a corner. "No signs of enemy movement."

"Charge is ready Boss." Scorch reported as he backed away. "Better hurry though, if they didn't know we were here before, they will afterwards."

"Right, stand clear Deltas." Boss ordered before pulling out the remote detonator and thumbing the switch.

The door blew inwards, Sorch peering inside quickly to spot everything and then tossed an EMP grenade inside at the squad of red-marked B1 security droids that had just wheeled on the door.

"What the!?" The high-pitched voice of one of the Battle Droids shouted in alarm before the droid popper went off and fried its circuits, the entire droid squad going down in heaps of metal and burnt out electronics.

"Go go go!" Boss shouted as Delta squad rushed the room, finding nothing as they swept their DC-17ms around.

["Delta Three-Eight, Copper and Foxhound teams have entered the facility via their designated sectors, rendezvous with them at the central development area."] The advisor instructed. ["Make sure to keep to the timetable, the longer this takes, the more of our brothers that die in the diversionary force."]

"On it Advisor." Boss acknowledged. "Deltas, take offensive formation."

"Got it Three-Eight."

"Roger that Boss."

"Copy that sir."

As the team progressed, with Boss at the head of a wedge formation, they noticed an eerie lack of droids or even other security assets.

"Spooky." Scorch muttered as he leaned over to look down a hallway.

"Better be careful Scorch, all sorts of nightmarish things go bump in the night in this forsaken Galaxy. Some of them are closer than you _think_." Sev chuckled softly as he passed, tapping Scorch on the shoulder unexpectedly and causing him to yelp in surprise.

"Knock it off Oh-Seven, we're on the clock." Fixer admonished his brother.

"Right, right..." Sev said with a shrug as he covered Scorch while he moved to the next junction before following.

The four of them reached the next door, and stopped, noting it was cut open by _something_.

"Oh wonderful, you think droids are all they were researching here?" Scorch uttered cynically.

"Probably. Deltas, take defensive formation." Boss ordered as they moved through the doorway in a tighter grouping, rifles at ready.

And then Scorch _shrieked_ as something leapt at him from above, knocked him over and raised a vibrosword up, preparing to plunge it into his chestplate.

Sev, already looking in that direction, snapped his Deece up and fired a sharp burst into the attacker's chest that staggered them before he put a coup de grace into the cranium.

The entire engagement happened so quickly it was perceived as near instantaneous, even for the genetically enhanced Clone Commandos.

Boss and Fixer were still_ turning_ as the droid fell.

Walking over, Fixer knelt down and helped Scorch up as Sev kicked the downed hostile before firing another bolt into its smoldering head.

He didn't make a comment, having been absolutely _terrified_ by the suddenness of the attack as well.

None of their training could've prepared them for a fright like that. "Some kind of new droid Three-Eight." Sev muttered softly.

Boss walked over and knelt next to the wreck, it was a Baktoid model, that much was clear given its general resemblance to the B-1.

But it was bulkier in many respects, more human shaped, down to two of its fingers looking like they could split into a total of four plus the thumb if necessary, the head too was more compact, more humanoid.

Lacked a transmission pack too, meant it was fully self-aware and capable of independent thought.

Hell, it looked roughly around the proportions of a Clone to boot. And given the reflexes on these things based on how quickly it knocked down Scorch and moved for the kill Boss knew even Skirata's Null boys and all their even more augmented genetics would have had serious trouble with even a handful of whatever the kriff this thing was.

A chill went down his spine, had Sev not been covering Scorch they'd have been looking for a new demolitionist.

A reminder from the universe that being trained by Vau with his harsh methods and making it off Geonosis with their pod intact didn't make Delta immortal.

"Nasty piece of work Three-Eight. Even after a full burst the main armor's intact. Looks like this is a specialty model of some kind… A Droid Commando?" Fixer posited as he looked at it.

"Wonderful, Droid versions of _us_…" Boss muttered darkly as he looked down at it before tapping the side of his helmet. "Advisor this is Delta Three-Eight, we got jumped by some new kind of Special Forces droid, not what we're looking for but we'll try to haul the wreck up if we can." He reported, looking around uneasily but seeing no more of them.

["Copy that Delta Three-Eight, keep moving but don't hesitate to put these things down if necessary."]

"We'll try, but one of these nearly got Six-Two before going down. Any status on Copper and Foxhound?" Boss asked, somewhat worried about the other squads now.

There was a brief pause as _their_ advisor spoke with the other two off comms. ["We've lost their exact locations due to jamming from the main battle but they should be approaching the development lab sector from other angles."] He said finally.

"Understood." Boss replied before cutting comms.

"How many of them do you bet there are in here?" Sev asked as he looked around warily.

"Probably about less than ten or so, if this one was waiting to ambush us then we must be close to the high security areas." Boss stated as he stood up. "Get me a charge on that door Scorch."

"On it Boss." Scorch acknowledged as Sev took a charge from his pack and handed it to him. Scorch carefully heading over and planting it on the door as the other Commandos took positions behind anything that looked like it could stop at least _some_ blasterfire, covering him while he set it up.

"And… Done." He said before diving behind a desk and waiting for Boss to detonate the charge.

"Detonating." Boss said before pulling the switch, blowing the doors wide open.

Then all hell broke loose as red blasterfire issued from the now cleared doorway.

On reflex, Delta Squad fired back, and the lightfight was joined.

* * *

**AN: Not much here compared to last, though Chapter 2 also had a substantial element of AN in it so that's part of the thing.**

**Anyways, Delta Squad encounters an early Commando Droid (They're fast enough to give even Jedi trouble, which means even ARC Troopers and Commandos would find them terrifying to deal with), Kelia deals with the consequences of being a distraction, and Durge appears.**

**Yeah, uh, Durge is one of those things about the Multimedia project that kinda contradicts itself, Kenobi supposedly is surprised by Durge's resilience at Muunilinst despite having fought the Gen'Dai before, and it's only after seeing him crash into the Harnadian command center that he realizes the Clones didn't kill him despite hammering him with blasterfire and a Plex Missile.**

**The issue is, Durge has been fought by him **_**twice**_** earlier in the war, and you'd think Anakin would've told Obi-Wan that stabbing him with a lightsaber on Ohma-D'un had no effect.**

**Though it's not **_**nearly **_**as canon breaking as Ventress being fought by Kenobi on said moon of Naboo nearly two **_**months **_**before**** she's recruited by Dooku as one of his acolytes according to the 2003 animated minisodes, which at least depict story elements rather canonically for legends even if the use of the force is a bit… Absurd at times.**

**Especially since the Duel on Yavin IV is implied to be Ventress's first encounter with Anakin despite them fighting briefly on Ohma-D'un in the comics, as the context within Chapter 7 implies the first thing she does is go to Muunilinst.**

_**Slow clap.**_** Nice one Dark Horse, way to communicate with the guys who're literally working with George Lucas on the first Clone Wars animated series. The retcons they had to do just to rectify this discrepancy shouldn't have even happened in the first place according to the entire purpose of the multimedia project.**

**Sarcasm and grumbling aside, it's rather irrelevant in the long-run in this fic, as Ohma-D'un will occur later as the CIS tries to put the Republic on the back foot. **

**Palpatine wants a long war, not_ too_ long, but long enough to get the Galaxy in general, and Anakin in particular, thinking the way he _wants_ them to, so they'll have more production capacity that they're bringing online with every passing month to counter the Republic's extant industry, factories and shipyards far more efficient and powerful than those of Geonosis, which were only used due to reasons of secrecy.**

**Anyways, the AAV-3 is basically the Anti-Air tank from Galactic Battlegrounds but with a twin-pod launcher rather than a single pod one, the LAAB/e is the Gunship bomber enhanced, one of the **_**few**_** Galactic Battlegrounds original units to see use outside the game. The AT-SE is the All-Terrain Strike Enforcer, basically the Clone 'Scout' walker from Galactic Battlegrounds rather than Fractalsponge's titanic Shock Enforcer (which is Imperial but I digress), while the AT-PW is the Personal Walker from the same game.**

**All the weapons Delta picks up to use to supplement their DC-17ms are official as well, some obscure, some more well known.**

**And as an added fun fact, the design for the T-7 Ion Disruptor from Rebels was ripped wholesale from Star Wars galaxies, while the flamethrower in TCW was at least given a foregrip handle when it too was taken from the game.**


	4. Mission Updated

**AN: And thus Chapter 4 is a go. Glad people are enjoying this so far.**

* * *

**"Muunilinst was the 608th's baptism by fire, and by extension, that of the _Kestrel_ and her crew. We emerged from it stronger than we'd ever been... Maybe we should've emerged from it a little more cautious instead... This was hardly anywhere close to the worst the war would throw at us, and the fighting was only just getting started too."-Unidentified 608th Mobile Regiment Trooper via memoirs, published 6 ABY.**

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**Holowan Mechanicals Development Facility, Pilaan, Muunilinst, Muunilinst System.**

Scorch hissed as he tossed a droid popper through the gap even as blasterfire rippled towards Delta Squad.

A high-pitched cry of "GRENADE" issued from the other side of the doorway.

The resulting detonation reducing the incoming fire _severely_.

"Karking B1s…" Scorch muttered derisively. "Bic ni skana'din…" He grunted as he stood up.

"Seek and destroy Deltas!" Boss shouted as he vaulted over the downed server stack he'd taken cover behind, his shields absorbing much of the incoming fire as he retaliated, gunning down the remaining droids in concert with the rest of the squad as they advanced through the gap.

"Clear." Fixer stated flatly as he looked around at the downed Security Droids.

"One of these days, we've gotta get some kinda pest spray to use on B1s." Scorch joked dryly as the four of them continued onwards. "It's just a waste to use droid poppers."

"Maybe we can get a squirt bottle for you while we're at it." Sev snipped at him.

"Can it." Fixer chided them as Boss simply shook his head.

There was a blast down one end of the corridor, the Commandos snapping their DC-17s up in that direction.

"Advisor, we're closing in on the meetup point with Copper Squad. What is their status?" Boss stated over comms as the Deltas began heading in that direction. "Advisor? Advisor, please respond if you can hear us."

Fixer tapped his own helmet. "We're being jammed Three-Eight, looks like _something_ came back online."

"Or they've built a jamming droid of some kind." Scorch suggested.

Boss suddenly held his left arm up, gesturing for the team to stop.

"What is it Three-Eight?" Sev inquired, raising his rifle warily.

"I think we just found Copper Squad…" Boss managed after a few moments.

The rest of Delta walked up and stared at the scene as well.

Scorch gulped audibly as he looked over the remains of Copper Squad, the dead Commandos strewn about, mixed with the remains of nearly a _dozen _of those 'Commando' Droids laying in the middle of a small crater, most of which were badly damaged from a low yield detonator blast that had scored and charred the remains of the other Commandos.

It was clear as a sunny day on Kamino that Copper had been ambushed but went down swinging.

"_Less_ than a dozen you said…" Scorch muttered softly.

"Looks like Copper Four-One blew his anti-capture det." Fixer remarked as he stooped over and picked up a shattered and melted fragment of Katarn armor, specifically part of a helmet. "Skirata's gonna take this _hard_… They're one of his only groups to make it through Geonosis intact…"

"Damned clankers." Boss sneered softly as he knelt in front of the body of Copper Seven-Two, tapping his helmet against that of the dead Commando. "_Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum_." He whispered softly. "Denim, Solus, Trid, Genet…"

They died because he and Delta weren't fast enough, they'd gotten held up by B1s of all things and now…

Four brothers lay dead because Delta wasn't _good enough_.

What would Sergeant Vau say?

Probably nothing, to let them reflect on this.

And because Skirata would finish breaking his nose off if he _did_ say anything.

Sev glanced over at Scorch, noticing how his line of sight was lingering on the bloodstained vibrosword plunged into Copper Nine-Five's torso, the droid responsible laying against the dead Clone with its hands still clasped around the handle, having taken Nine-Five with it if the blaster holes ripped into its torso were any indication.

Scorch never stopped thinking about how that could've been _him_.

"You alright…?" Sev asked his brother earnestly.

"I'll be fine." Scorch lied.

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Pilaan, Muunilinst, Muunilinst System.**

Kelia watched as Grey and Green squadrons joined the fighters already tangling with the incoming droid craft, slowly but steadily chipping their numbers down faster than they could send more units in.

"Keep up the pressure!" She ordered even as she wrung her hands.

Things were getting tense, and the droids had started throwing everything they could muster at the _Kestrel_, causing mounting losses to the defenders and forcing her to transfer half the starboard defense perimeter to the port side.

The dull thuds of weaponsfire echoed all around the ship as the crew tried to keep the fighters slipping past the squadrons from making runs on the ground troops with the vessel's weapons.

Fighter after fighter speared by defensive guns, as if the ship was fighting as desperately as her crew to keep the ground complement alive.

Kelia didn't _entirely_ believe all those old superstitions about ships and how they were supposedly alive, but there was _something_ at work with the _Kestrel_ as her point defense and main turbolaser batteries blazed away at both ground and air targets with accuracy a bit _too_ on point for a crew going through their first combat engagement.

She felt helpless, wanting to do _something _more if at all possible.

But the Bothan knew that her place was on the bridge… Directing the course of the battle.

Suddenly, a wave of LAAB/es and LAAT/is roared in and struck the frontline of the droid advance, LAAT/cs following and dropping off AT-TEs and TX-130s, which began to strike hard into the flanks of the droid forces in concert with infantry squads drooped off by the infantry gunships.

The _Prosecutor's_ troops had arrived.

Had there been a command chair on the bridge, Kelia would've relaxed and let out a sigh of relief.

As it were, officers in the Republic Navy were expected to remain stoic and rigid to serve as an example of discipline to those under their command, weak knees didn't deserve to command a ship like the _Kestrel_.

The droid swarm slowed and then began to withdraw as A5-RX Tanks, AT-SEs, AT-RTs, AAV-03s, and RTT-04s moved in to support the perimeter.

The droid fighters, or at the least those giving them orders, had other ideas, as they began to _dive_ directly at the _Kestrel_ on suicide runs as it was clear they weren't going to escape at this point.

That droids were expendable was another mark in favor of such tactics

A Vulture struck the superstructure, slightly shaking the bridge even as the others crashed worthlessly into the shielded hull or were blown out of the sky.

"Redirect additional power to bridge shields!" Kelia shouted as a failing Hyena, loaded to the brim with bombs, angled for the starboard command tower, trailing fire and smoke from its port engine even as a pair of Torrents chased it in, laser cannons blazing away before they were forced to break off lest they collide with the _Kestrel_ as well.

"TOO LATE!" Perth shouted back from the rear of the bridge moments before the bomber impacted the top of the tower.

Kelia felt a shock from above her and then everything went black.

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel **_**landing site, Pilaan, Muunilinst, Muunilinst system.**

Sabre and the rest of the 608th and their reinforcements from the 398th stared in horror as acrid black smoke billowed from the _Kestrel's_ starboard command tower, which was largely obscured from their vision by the port-side flight command bridge. LAATs were already buzzing around the ship's superstructure, trying to confirm the extent of the damage.

Commander Kursk snarled and turned to his men. "WIPE OUT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE BLASTED CLANKERS!"

The 608th had found their second wind, rage filling them as they turned towards the fleeing droids and opened fire, cutting down hundreds as their weapons blazed away, blaster and laser bolts, mass drivers shells, rockets, mortars, and plasma rounds hailed down on the fleeing Separatist forces.

There would be no mercy, not after that affront to their ship, their home.

Their Captain.

And then, in one glorious moment, the _Kestrel_, as if the ship herself shared their rage, opened fire with all her port side armaments.

The men on the ground bore witness to the full wrath of a _Venator_-class Star Destroyer as thousands of droids and dozens of vehicles were flash vaporized in an instant as turbolaser bolts raked up their line of retreat.

It was a spectacle none of the Clones would soon forget.

* * *

**Holowan Mechanicals Development Facility, Pilaan, Muunilinst, Muunilinst System.**

Sev kicked the wreck of a B2 Super Battle Droid before firing another shot into its processor unit.

"You sure we haven't shot it enough?" Scorch asked sarcastically.

"Rule number thirty-nine." Sev reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah… Always make sure it's actually dead." Scorch recited from memory as Delta Squad proceed after marking Copper Squad's location, the four then encountering a trio of SBDs. "Still think those sims really hyped up the toughness of these things too much."

Supers were tough, but not so tough that the Commandos couldn't down them one on one in a reasonable amount of time.

Boss winced as a staticky transmission came through. ["This is Foxhound Seven-Two to Delta, come in Delta."]

"This is Delta Three-Eight. I read you Seven-Two." Boss replied.

["_Mar'e_! We ran into some trouble earlier, a couple rollies and a DSD1 backing a line of clankers got the drop on us and forced us back, we knocked 'em down though. Have you made contact with Copper yet?"]

Boss glanced back at the rest of Delta. "We… Found them… It wasn't pretty…" He informed the other Commando.

["_Haar'chak_…"] Snake hissed over comms. ["Well, we're on the other side of the main testing room from you, we'll breach simultaneously."]

"Copy that." Boss acknowledged before waving Scorch up, the Commando placing a breaching charge on the door before backing away.

"All ready Boss."

Boss hit the demolition charge and blew the doors open, Delta Squad rushing into the room with weapons drawn.

Inside, a trio of Magnaguards wheeled about, two carrying bulldog RLRs and the third carrying an electrostaff.

None of the Deltas were about to let them get the same opportunity the Commando Droids that wiped out Copper squad got, so they opened fire.

Sev brought up the AXM-50 and fired three micro-grenades into the one carrying the electrostave, blowing its torso plating wide open.

Fixer hammered the second unit with the DP-23 scatter blaster, with Scorch finishing it off with a grenade from his DC-17m in its anti-material launcher setup.

Boss flicked the T-7 over to the last target and aimed at the third droid even as it began to raise its micro-rocket launcher, firing a shot that fried its systems and put it down with minor structural damage, the Commando letting the disruptor's heat vents cycle afterwards.

Blasterfire issued from the other side of the bay before it went silent. ["Foxhound here… All targets down."]

"Well… That seemed almost anticlimactic…" Scorch quipped as he kicked the downed droid Sev had hit.

Its optics flared to life and it lunged for his leg, earning the machine a few volleys that finally disabled it for its trouble.

"You're two for two on tempting freaky droids today Six-Two." Sev muttered.

"Yeah, don't remind me Sev." Scorch stuttered as he backed away from it in case it was still operational as Fixer walked up and blasted the droid he and Scorch had hit with a few bolts from his DC-17 pistol.

"All targets down on our end as well Foxhound… Less than I expected…" Boss noted warily as Fixer went over to a still working terminal running off a tertiary generator inside the lab and began to slice it.

["Think they could've been transported offworld?"]

"Depends on how many they had." Boss remarked.

"Looks like it Three-Eight, there were _eighty_ units in the developmental run they built here, only six remained behind, being fine-tuned to protect Chairman San Hill of the Banking Clan."

"Well… Looks like he never got his bodyguards then. Advisor, do you read?"

["Affirmative Delta Three-Eight, looks like the battle's over down here. Droids are shutting down planetwide, the day belongs to the Republic."]

"Well, maybe they're just afraid of facing more Commandos." He joked, trying to lift the mood. "I take it Fordo's squad succeeded?"

["That'd be an affirmative Delta Three-Eight, he and General Kenobi have already accepted the Banking Clan's surrender after a minor hiccup involving a bounty hunter, we'll be sending recovery units to pick up the downed Magnaguards and those new 'Commando Droids' that you encountered, in addition to recovering any data from the facility."]

"We'll be bringing Copper squad back to Triple Zero ourselves… We owe it to them to give them a proper sendoff." Boss whispered.

["Very well then, gunships will be arriving to pick you up, meet them outside the facility."]

"Copy that." Boss acknowledged before turning back to his squad. "Alright Deltas, let's pack it up and move out."

They nodded and followed him as they began to move back to the door they'd entered from.

And back towards what remained of Copper squad.

* * *

**1:1:29 GrS.**

**Los'ean Family household, Los'starn, Bothuwai, Both System, Bothan Space.**

Cath Los'ean sighed as she slowly wiped some blood out of her daughter's facial fur. "_Ad'ika_, you need to understand that acting like a _Mando'ad_ and getting into fights with people you think have wronged you is only going to get you in trouble... Our clan hasn't used our _beskar'gam_ for anything more than decoration in seven centuries, we stopped being warriors long before either you or I were born."

"But they started it... They said that we're not 'real' Bothans because we used to be Mandos... Just _auretii_." A nine-year old Kelia mumbled. "They made fun of me for not speaking Bothese…"

"Well then they can earn all the scorn heaped upon their reputations that they deserve for unrightfully slandering our clan and insulting you, but starting a fight only _validates_ their claims. You must prove them wrong through your _actions_, not your _words_. Defeat them by being_ better_ than them." Cath said softly as Kelia winced in pain when her mother gently touched a bruise.

"Yes mother..." Kelia sighed as she nodded slowly.

Cath smiled softly at her. "Now, let's get you something for those bruises... Captain. Captain?"

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Muunilinst, Muunilinst System.**

"Captain?" A voice called out.

Kelia's eyes shot open, harsh white light piercing into her eyes, which caused her to flinch and put her hands over it to block it out.

Or at least out of the one eye she could see out of, the other had apparently been bandaged over from what she could feel, likely a head wound that was too risky to keep sealed up otherwise.

That meant she was in a medbay.

The Bothan muttered a curse in the distinctive growls and yips of Bothese as she sat up, 2-1B, FX-9 and MD-0 medical droids tending to wounded Clones all around her.

"Easy there sir. You've been out for a couple hours." A Clone Medical Officer standing next to her bed said as he gently helped her steady herself.

She recognized the specific tone of his voice, placing his name after a moment of unscrambling her mind. "Uhnnn… Yorr…? What happened…?"

"Hyena hit the roof of the command bridge and partially exploded before cartwheeling off the side… Bombs failed to arm so the damage was minor and being patched up as we speak, but spalling from the blast knocked you unconscious, threw the entire ship into a rage when they found out."

She nodded lazily as she listened.

He gently held up his hand. "Can you show me many how many fingers I'm holding up?" He asked, holding it just out of her field of view with her unbandaged eye.

The Bothan thought for a moment, and then flipped him off, the Clone laughing at the gesture. "Well_ that_ certainly proves your mental faculties are still working mostly right, but you'll need to be under observation for a bit, nasty scar on the side of your head, it'll heal up and the fur'll regrow but you need to take it easy for a while."

"Any other casualties on the bridge?" She asked nervously as she slid her feet off the bed.

"A few cut and minor lacerations, most of them are just resting it off right now while the third shift crew handles the helm from the secondary bridge, though they're about to move back since the damage has been fixed and properly sealed. Of more concern is that your _husband_ nearly had us turn our turbos on the enemy command center in a fit of panic."

Kelia took a few moments to process that statement but the rippling of her fur and the dilation of her pupils caused Yorr to shoot to his feet in alarm. "Sir!?" The Clone yelped.

"_Kaysh mirsh solus_…" She growled in near perfect _Mando'a_.

"Uh... What…?"

"My husband… He's a kriffing idiot and I'm going to _kill_ him." She snarled as she climbed out of the bed, quickly changed into a fresh uniform given she'd been wearing a medical gown, and strode towards the door.

"I'll uh... Get back to the wounded then..." Yorr said as he nervously walked backwards a few steps while Kelia reached for the door controls.

It conveniently slid open for her, revealing Korsk standing there.

His fur rippled as he saw her and then realized _exactly_ how much trouble he was in.

He didn't even get a chance to move as his wife slugged him in the face, muzzle contorted into a snarl. _"Di'kut_!_ Gar ganar shi_ solus_ bora_! _SOLUS BORA_!" She bellowed as she grabbed the taller male Bothan by the chestplate of his padded armor and yanked him closer to her so that the tips of their noses were touching. "_Cuyir ogir par cuun ad_!" Kelia growled at the now pensive Korsk.

Behind him, the Commandos of Delta Squad stood slack-jawed behind their helmets at the flawless _Mando'a _spewing from the enraged Bothan's lips.

"Does she… Always speak fluent _Mando'a_?" Scorch asked warily.

"Only when she's _furious_." Korsk admitted nervously as she let go of him and then pulled him into a hug, simply glad that both she and he weren't dead now that the initial rage had passed.

"Wait… She's Mandalorian…?" Sev asked, bewildered.

"_Dar'manda_ actually… My clan gave up the _Resol'nare_ not long after the Excision and moved back to Bothan space…" Kelia said almost nonchalantly after letting go of Korsk. "Wasn't like they had a choice at the time, the big human clans forced out the smaller but more numerous non-human oriented ones practically overnight for a variety of reasons, the biggest one being a lack of resources. Mandalorian space has been predominantly human since then." She explained with a half-hearted shrug.

Delta Squad fell silent, conflicted since Vau_ hadn't_ seen fit to tell them that tidbit in their scattered history lessons on the 'glorious' culture of the _Mando'ade_, with Sev and Scorch conversing via text comms, wondering if their training sergeant even knew about it given he'd been adopted into the culture.

That and all four men were absolutely _terrified_ about how Kelia had changed tact within an instant despite being ready to damn near bite her husband's head off seconds ago.

"_Ke barjurir gar'ade, jagyc'ade kot'la a dalyc'ade kotla'shya._" Boss muttered under his breath, apparently Clan Aean hadn't forgotten _some_ parts of its Mandalorian heritage.

"Anyway… Enough about my heritage… Is there anything to report…?" She asked them.

"Actually, yes." A new voice said as the Commandos parted to allow an ARC Captain to stride up to her. "I'm commandeering this vessel on a high priority assignment to Hypori… We depart _immediately_ as soon as the last of your troops are aboard."

Kelia's visible eye twitched almost imperceptibly, one Special Forces assignment to the next at the drop of a hat. "What's the operation…? Captain…"

"Call me Fordo ma'am. And we're searching for _survivors_… The _entire_ assault force sent to Hypori has reportedly been destroyed by some new Droid General. Grevious was the name we got from master Barrek before he was presumably killed."

"Kriff…" Fixer whispered. "There were fifty _Acclamators_ assigned to that assault… Plus all the escorts…"

Kelia suddenly felt incredibly nervous, but steeled herself. "Understood, I'll head up to the bridge. Sergeant." She said, addressing RC-1138.

Boss snapped to. "Ma'am?"

"Would you please escort my husband to my quarters and have some Troopers keep an eye on his _di'kut shebs_?" She asked calmly as she turned and began to head for the turbolift.

Boss cocked his head, unused to being _asked_ to do anything rather than ordered. "We'll get right on it."

"Thank you." She said as she glanced over her shoulder.

Scorch snickered lightly at the hapless Bothan male as they watched her walk away. "Really not your day, is it?"

"No… It isn't…" Korsk sighed in exasperation. "Then again I brought this on myself for not staying with our daughter when she explicitly told me to."

Boss winced behind his visor, if Captain Los'ean was raised with any bit of Mandalorian culture in her, even if not the full _Resol'nare_, she'd take _serious_ exception to their child being left unattended by the father. "I'd have to agree with you on that point." Boss said as Delta Squad led him towards one of the turbolifts.

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**Pilaan, Muunilinst, Muunilinst System.**

General Glynn Be'ti watched as the _Kestrel _and her attached escorts roared over her troops as the small squadron ascended into the hazy dusk sky.

The ship was odd… It shone brightly in the force… Which in this case _didn't _imply a strong force sensitive presence was aboard, but that it and its crew was _highly_ important in events to come.

"Master?" Her padawan, Ulu Ulix stated as the triclopean strode up to her.

The ash blonde furred Bothan glanced at her apprentice. "Yes Padawan?"

"We're about ready to depart for Coruscant." He stated. "The _Candaserri_ is waiting master."

She nodded softly, armored robes waving in the breeze. "Very well then, I suppose we should be going then."

"Yes master." He acknowledged.

* * *

**13:6:8 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Muunilinst System.**

"All hands, standby for the jump to hyperspace." Kelia announced tiredly as the ship and her escorts, consisting of five _Arquitens_, two other _Venators_, two _Gladiators_, three _Acclamators_, six armed _Peltas_, a gaggle of CR25s and CR20s, twelve transport _Peltas_, five DP20s, five CR90s, and eleven _Consulars_, oriented themselves at the jump point.

Kenobi had placed her in command, much to her consternation as the Captains of the _Hawk-bat_ and _Tusk Cat_ were Judicial Forces veterans with more seniority on her.

Worse, the _Hawk-bat's_ Captain was an ex-ORSF man with an undoubtedly dim view of her academy training on Anaxes.

He might cause problems unless she asserted the chain of command in a way that didn't step on feet in the wrong way.

Still, it would take them at _least_ half a galactic day to reach Hypori given it was smack across the _Galaxy_ from Muunilinst, so she had time to get some to figure out what to do.

She'd need it, and not _just_ because of the command headaches that were sure to come.

What they'd see in system was something she'd probably end up having nightmares about, and she'd already have plenty from her near-miss with death.

In a small mercy, Fordo and the Commandos of Delta, Chopper, Burst, Ryll, and Foxhound squads had already drawn up an inital draft plan.

For the mission, a total of fourteen Arc Troopers and the twenty Clone Commandos backed by Special Ops troopers would head in and begin to search for survivors in the, Jedi and Clone alike, in the wreckage after the _Acclamators_ used their extensive communications and command and control networks to locate survivors, with LAATs and CR20s and 25s landing to pick up the bulk of the survivors.

Fordo's unit would go in to find the surviving Jedi, whom would undoubtedly have sought eachother out to try and defend against this 'General Grevious' character.

She'd elected to let the trained special forces Clones handle the mission planning and assignment of forces rather than step on their feet trying to shoehorn in ideas in an arena of warfare she had absolutely zero experience in dealing with.

The Bothan didn't hold out much hope, but they needed to at least try…

Her other standing orders to the crew were to exit the jump a minute early and then proceed at maximum sublight burn towards the planet after scanning the space ahead of them.

Something about the Hypori disaster seemed… _Off_ to her… Fifty _Acclamators_ didn't just get destroyed without sending off a distress call unless they _never_ had the chance.

Which meant mines placed around the planned jump point, a _lot_ of mines. Planetary orbit was always a possibility but that struck her as unlikely given the amount required was absurdly costly, which meant most worlds used them to channel attacking warships into the firing arcs of planetary guns and missile batteries.

Sighing just as the _Kestrel_ and her little flotilla jumped into hyperspace, she nodded at Perth. "You have the bridge." She told him as she strode back to the turbolift at the rear, the Clone nodding back as she left.

* * *

Kelia sighed as she stripped off her uniform, changed into a fresh set of undergarments, and flopped down onto her bed, having finally gotten the clear to remove her bandages and taken them off as well after a quick sonic shower near one of the medbays.

"Y'know, you looked sexier when you wear only wearing the uniform jacket." Her husband joked as he sat down on the bed next to her after exiting the refresher.

"You're not getting any until we get back to Coruscant." She informed him flatly, earning a pout in response. "I _will_ allow cuddling however." She added after a moment.

"That's fine by me." Korsk said as he laid down, having stripped off his armor and changed into an under-armor shirt and some thin-skin boxers and slid underneath the covers with her, Kelia making a soft purring noise as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

"Y'know, I really missed this." She told him. "It got lonely when I was at Anaxes…"

"I did too…" He replied as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

If only the war would allow some more moments like this…

* * *

**AN: And scene.**

**For anyone confused about Korsk adopting his wife's family name, it's not unprecedented in human culture in real life.**

**Japan notably has a culture where men will take the family ****name of their wife as their own if it is far more well known, often for practical reasons to allow them to inherit a company or business if it is run as a 'family concern', this sometimes leads to a cutting of relations with their birth family however as part and parcel of this deal, particularly if said family married into is more culturally conservative.**

**Bothan culture, being based heavily on the social standing and reputation of a clan and its member families, no doubt works similarly.**

**Anyway, onto the subject of Kelia's heritage, when I was writing this I realized something odd about both sides of Mandalore (TCW's and Traviss's), as reconciled through The Essential Guide to Warfare's retcon explanation.**

**Where the hell did all the _nonhuman_ Mandalorians go?**

**They weren't small in number given the recruitment methods of the Neo Crusaders (Notably, a small number of Wookiees became Mandalorians over the course of history) allowing outsiders of any species in (And human Mandos wouldn't exist without this since the Taung were the original Mandalorian species), and even accounting for Malachor V and other defeats incurred upon them by Revan there should've been a _substantial_ number of them throughout the centuries.**

**And yet, Sundari's population during the Clone Wars is _overwhelmingly_ human, entirely perhaps. Keldabe's isn't elaborated on but it can be inferred that most of the people there are human as well.**

**So I decided that a little fan explanation was that the main clans effectively kicked out most of the nonhumans out of Mandalorian space after the excision for a variety of reasons.**

**Competition for then scarce resources after the Republic and Jedi went full hypocrite and sterilized parts of several Mandalorian worlds and rampant xenophobia being the top two for why humans are so dominant in Mandalorian culture post-Excision.**

**The Bothans who would later form Clan Aean, itself becoming the youngest of the leading Bothan clans due to their prominence in the Bothan military as a direct result of their Mandalorian heritage, were among the lucky ones who were able to reintegrate somewhat into their species' societies and cultures.**

**Many others weren't so fortunate, left wandering the star lanes as guns for hire when they discovered the severe cultural differences between Mandalorians and their own species.**

**It's not exactly the proudest moment in Mandalorian history, hence why Delta, and most other Commandos, weren't told of it.**

**Hell, I'm even implying Vau and Skirata might not know either since both of them were adopted into the culture rather than being born into it.**


	5. Arrival at Hypori

**AN: Chapter 5.**

**NGL, FTL is risky business, Han's comment about the dangers of hyperspace **_**severely**_** downplays how bad it is.**

**Also due reminder that Star Wars constantly bullshits its way past its own logic time and time again. With the worst offenders being Fordo racing to Hypori within a day despite it being clear across the Galaxy from Muunilinst, the **_**Ghost**_** crew reaching the Axum system in the Core Worlds seemingly within **_**hours **_**of jumping away from Lothal, and of course numerous other examples throughout the fiction of ships just yeeting through hyperspace across the Galaxy with no ill-consequences.**

**Even Rogue One is insanely guilty of this, with both Raddus's fleet and the titular group jumping halfway across the Galaxy to Scariff within a day.**

**Admittedly these are examples with heavy plot armor but still, I can give MMOs like SWG or SWTOR for it by virtue of game mechanics, but anywhere else is just lazy.**

**Oh, right, forgot to mention, the CD10 is the somewhat popular Corellian Destroyer, seen in a few Empire at War mods. Not a big surprise that Corellia, being one of the Galaxy's foremost leaders in ship design, would produce native designs larger than the **_**Pelta**_**-class.**

**Also anyone else find Grievous to be underwhelming on-screen after his initial 2003 and Comic appearances as part of the multimedia project? Yeah, because he's not going to be a pushover who somehow forgot to be a tactician or even how to fight competently like a full-body cyborg half the time here.**

* * *

**Anyways, review response.**

**Thraus- You've honestly given me some food for thought on how to expand the aftermath of the Excision. One can also note that Death Watch has seemingly no non-human Mandos, and they're all too supportive of the Empire and its humanocentric policies in both legends **_**and**_** canon, to the point that in the latter, many former Death Watch openly join the Imperial Military.**

**Perhaps Mandalorians of **_**that**_** mindset (Since Death Watch wouldn't form for several centuries) were involved in forcing the nonhuman Mandos out (or at least accelerating the process since many human Mandalorians were also undoubtedly forced to flee due to food shortages in the aftermath of the Excision as well) much to the dismay of both the Traditionalists and the soon to be New Mandalorians while the Judicial occupation forces on Mandalorian worlds just shrugged and looked the other way or even outright encouraged it at times to further weaken the culture's unity and the threat it would therefore pose to the Republic in the future, thus fueling resentment of the Republic and Jedi.**

**Naturally those expelled nonhuman groups who'd managed to carve something out for themselves, be it as mercenaries or, like the Bothans who'd form Clan Aean, returning to the greater number of their species and reintegrating, would be holding longstanding grudges against the human clans, since each ideology of Mandalorian claimed members from every clan, and they'd have no reason to believe any apologies or denials of involvement after being effectively rendered **_**dar'manda**_** by their own people, even if under duress most of the time.**

**Nonhumans would of course remain among the Keldabe centered traditionalists, but never in the numbers seen before the excision.**

**With one fell swoop, the Republic and Jedi had dealt a blow to the Mandalorian people they could scarcely recover from even if a new **_**Manda'lor**_** were to appear, something even **_**Revan**_** failed to achieve at Malachor V.**

**They destroyed their **_**unity**_**, and it wouldn't be until around the time of the Yuuzhan Vong War that Mandalorian Space would return to some semblance of its pre-excision state.**

**But Mandalore would forever remain a pale shadow of the heights of prestige and power she once attained in the time period during and following the New Sith Wars, when Mandalorians fought not as conquerors, but as warrior-guardians holding back the chaos of the dark times that ended the Old Republic.**

**Though speaking of the Jedi, you'd think the group big on _not_ going full genocide would have had more than a passing issue with the Excision... Not to mention the political fallout of such an act in the post Ruusan Republic.**

**Naturally _that'll_ be addressed in time.**

* * *

**"The appearance of General Grievous signaled a paradigm shift in the war, no longer would the Republic run roughshod over scattered and unprepared CIS officers, the Separatists would hold their own on the battlefield with individuals _other_**** than Sev'rance'tann. Other capable leaders such as Trench, Durge, Asajj Ventress, Mar Tuuk, Riff Tamson, the Clone traitor Spar, Kleeve, Pors Tonith, and Atticus Farstar would soon become almost as prominent, even as the Republic's own share of heroes such as Anakin Skywalker, Kelia Los'ean, Wullf Yularen, Honor Salima, Shoan Kilian, Jan Dodonna, Commander Cody, Alpha-17, Glider Varth, and Wilhuff Tarkin came to the fore as well. At Hypori, The Clone Wars would prove itself to be the long and drawn out affair that many realists had long expected, not a quick war that would be won with minimal Republic losses."-Galaxy in Turmoil: A history of the Clone Wars, published 19 ABY.**

* * *

**13:6:9 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Hyperspace.**

Kelia groaned in dismay as her alarm clock's timer went off, slapping the device with the palm of her hand and then cancelling the alarm once she was up.

Five hours of sleep was still better than none though, and she slipped out of bed and walked over to her dresser, a sleek metallic grey piece of furniture that she pulled several articles of clothing out of it and headed into the refresher.

Korsk, thankfully, was still snoring away, likely having gotten little sleep as the Separatists increased security in Pilaan in the days before the invasion.

Admittedly part of Kelia was tempted to wake her husband and have him shower with her, but she needed to be professional about this.

* * *

Slipping into the small sonic shower after stripping down, which was more spacious than those offered to lower ranked officers and the enlisted, Kelia turned on the device, causing a warm mist, vibrated by precise harmonic frequencies, to wash over her, the Bothan grabbing a canister of shampoo and lathering her body-encompassing blond fur with it, scrubbing gently to ensure it was in properly and letting the shower rinse it out via vibration before moving onto her hair.

The audio-link in the shower suddenly chimed as it was connected to her desk comms, Kelia sighing and clicking on it. "Los'ean."

["Captain, just wanted to check in to see if you're up."] Perth's voice came over the comms.

"I am, currently showering off at the moment." She replied candidly as she scrubbed her hair, which was noticeably darker than her fur in coloration. "Is there anything to report?"

["We'll be exiting hyperspace in four hours, we got lucky with the timing of the jump otherwise we'd have to spend _weeks_ traversing the hyperlanes to get to Hypori."]

"And fighting through CIS strongholds. Or worse..." She added, the ever-shifting nature of the Galaxy's makeup made point to point jumps over anything more than a few parsecs outside a hyperspace lane exceptionally risky for anything except scout ships, properly rigged smuggling vessels, or military grade navicomps, and even then it was only moderately less so.

It was a recurring nightmare of anyone who ever plied the stars, that by chance your ship accidentally intersects the mass shadow of a rogue or uncharted planet, star, or black hole and is pulled out of hyperspace by the drive failsafes, lost and, with often unusable navigational charts, left to try and reach the closest known star at near-relativistic speeds.

Occasionally a vanished vessel from years, decades, even centuries or millennia ago would emerge near a populated system, the successful few whose crews and logs provided much appreciated data for the Bureau of Ships and Services and often helped explain similar disappearances.

One noticeable incident Kelia remembered her mother recounting from her own childhood involved an eleven-millennium old Pius Dea Cathedral Ship drifting into the Both system that caused the scramble of a _Dreadnaught_, six _Carracks_, and a full wing of Headhunters due to the ship's size when it appeared on a routine scan. Though it quickly became clear to the Sector Forces that the ship's crew had long since become dust and its armaments, armor, and _very _limited combat shielding were unable to protect it from just about anything currently actively travelling the starlanes due to sheer obsolescence.

The irony that the BoSS was responsible for that ship's fate wasn't lost on her given the normally politically neutral organization's critical role in bringing to an end the xenophobic cult's thousand-year dominance of the Republic from the inside in concert with the regular Navy, Alsakan, and the Jedi Order.

Most lost vessels never made it to their emergency destinations though, crawling vainly towards stars that had since moved from their previous galactic coordinates as their captains were unable to predict a correct heading to intercept the star's path.

Some truly unfortunate craft were theorized to have reached undiscovered systems, a vain hope of aid dashed by lack of starfaring civilization, or worse, hostile races whom destroyed or captured them on sight.

And the rest? The rest were simply destroyed, their remains, if any, were forever lost in either hyperspace itself or the trackless void of realspace.

["Sir? Sir? You still there?"]

Well... That was nothing short of _embarrassing_, to have a subordinate ask if you were still on the line due to spacing out. "R... Right, I'll be up to the bridge in a few minutes, I want everyone on alert for when we decant from hyperspace." She instructed, face flushing orange as her iron-based blood tinted the color of her fur in embarrassment. "My apologies for the distraction, I got a bit lost in thought."

["No worries sir, see you on the bridge."]

"Right, Los'ean out." Kelia stated before tapping a button to end the call and sighing as she went over her shower checklist and doing a once over before shutting off the sonic shower and opening the door.

Drying herself off quickly, the Bothan slipped on her undergarments and then uniform in short order, striding over to the mirror next to see what she could do with her hair.

Shrugging, Kelia figured it would be simplest to use a medium-long formal and have a clip hold it together, brushing it back and then sliding the clip on after she was satisfied it wouldn't frazzle.

Checking her bangs, the Bothan decided that the current look was professional enough and placed her cap on before exiting the refresher.

Approximately ten minutes had passed since she'd entered and Korsk was _still_ asleep.

Shaking her head, she grabbed the holster for her pistol and strapped into her belt before unlocking the safe it was stored in, checking the DC-17 hand blaster's gas cell before taking several power packs and inserting one into the port at the bottom of the weapon's grip after checking the safety position, stowing the remainder on her belt rigging.

Next of course was the code cylinder, Kelia undocking one from the computer terminal after ensuring it was using up to date encryption keys and sliding it into a small chest pocket just inward of her left arm.

Finally, her rank badge, which she picked up and pinned onto her uniform.

She had a few spares, with her initially gifted one being kept separate from the others and solely meant for her dress uniform rather than her service greys.

Checking herself one final time, she headed for the door, opening it and returning the Clone guard's salute as she strode out. "When my husband wakes up, inform him he's to stay put unless an evac order is given, I don't want him wandering the ship considering he's a Spynet agent… That would reflect rather poorly on my ability to keep security."

"Sir." The Trooper, Onyx based on the subtle variation in his voice, acknowledged. "I suppose you should be heading up to the bridge then?"

"That I am." She replied before striding off towards the closest direct line turbo to the bridge level.

* * *

Perth saluted Kelia as he looked over from his work. "Captain on the bridge!" He stated sharply, the other Clones snapping to as well.

They had more scrutiny on them this time, informalities could come later.

And besides, everyone was running on strung out nerves as is.

She _might_ have to ease the punishment for the brawl in the face of this, not too much but she'd consider it nonetheless.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she could do little aside from wait and stare at the opaqued bridge windows. Part of her wondered what was responsible for the supposed cases of 'Hyper Madness' that led to such innovations being made… Was hyperspace simply incompatible with the humanoid brain? Or was there something more_ sinister_ at work? Were there entities beyond mortal understanding lurking in the alternate dimension and claiming the sanity of those unfortunate enough to witness them?

A shiver ran down her spine as she imagined grotesque tendrils of unfathomable scale licking along the surface of her ship.

The Bothan tapped the side of her head, her mind always had a bad habit of running off on tangents when she wasn't actively doing anything, which naturally led her to be frequently distracted when given the opportunity to be so. "Focus… Mission first, mental tangents later…" She whispered to herself.

"You say something sir?" A Clone in full armor asked as he looked over from a console at the front of the bridge's command level.

"Just muttering to myself Perx, return to what you were doing."

"Sir." The Clone replied as he went back to the console he was tending to.

* * *

**13:6:9 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Hypori System.**

Kelia felt the ship lurch ever so slightly under her as it jumped out of hyperspace at the center of the formation, the windows depolarizing to allow the bridge crew to see out of them. "Sensors, I want a sweep of the area ahead of us, push the scan all the way to the planet if you have to."

"On it sir!" The Clone in charge of the sensors division replied, tapping instructions into his console.

There were a few tense moments before the sensor tech reported back. "Lot of mines sir, your hunch about the jump point being seeded was correct, however they're only lining the main hyperlane, they weren't expecting anything along this vector."

Kelia exhaled in relief, it had been an educated guess, had she miscalculated where exactly along the line of approach the mines had been she'd have gotten the entire fleet destroyed.

"Alright… Anything else?"

"Nothing sir… No Seppie warships, just…"

He trailed off as the _Kestrel_ and her assigned fleet component approached a debris field, wrecked _Acclamators_, CR90s, _Consulars_, _Dreadnaughts_, DP20s, CD10s, _Peltas_, _Carracks_, and a few _Arquitens_ drifting aimlessly, caught in the neutral zone of a Lagrange point.

No _Venators_ or _Gladiators _though, implying they weren't available.

The bridge fell silent as they slowly picked their way through the field, bodies and wreckage drifting past them.

Kelia's fur rippled across her entire body. Her ship, her crew, and herself could easily be one of these graveyards in space one day.

The body of a Clone Trooper bounced off the travelling shields of the bridge even as a tractor beam array flicked an AT-TE away from the _Kestrel_.

Travel shields were intended to protect ships against minor space hazards such as small-scale debris and rocks in addition to cosmic radiation.

In contrast there were the combat shields, which defended vessels against larger objects, more powerful bursts of radiation, and of course, weaponsfire.

This was drummed into every cadet at Anaxes due to the misconception that unshielded meant _completely_ unshielded, which was hardly the case as every space certified design was required by law to feature travel shields.

Shaking her head once more due to the mental tangent, Kelia forced herself to focus on the outside, at the death and destruction around her.

It was sobering to say the least.

"We're exiting the field sir." Navigation reported flatly.

"Roger. Comms, relay order to the fleet to take up a wedge formation centered around the _Venators_ and the transports."

"Understood."

She frowned as they closed with Hypori.

Still no response from the surface. "Sensors, any activity down there besides the foundries?"

The Clone looked up at her. "We've got a _massive_ number of droid contacts clustering around one of the _Acclamators_, with lesser groups around a few others."

"Then we'll focus on those primarily, relay information to the Special Forces units as it comes in."

"Sir!"

"Captain, incoming transmission from the _Hawk-bat_."

Kelia clicked her tongue, muttering something in Bothese before switching back to Basic. "I'll be right there." She said as she turned and headed towards the command information center, striding up to the holotable.

"Put it on."

"Sir." A Clone replied before clicking the receive button.

["Ah, Captain Los'ean… You're… _Younger_ than I expected."] A Human male in his early forties observed as his hologram flickered to life.

"Captain Gresler… To what do I owe the 'pleasure'." She said calmly.

["I have a concern, _Captain_."] He said, stressing that she wasn't a superior officer. ["Our mission is to locate and if possible rescue the Jedi is it not? Why are we mobilizing so many gunships and transports?"]

Kelia's fur rippled, this time in anger. "Our mission is to rescue _survivors_ Captain." She stated calmly.

["A few Clones is a small price to pay for success."]

Perth shot Kelia a disgusted look while standing out of view of the holocam.

As much as she would've liked to return it, she needed to remain professional.

So Kelia stayed whatever snide comment she'd want to make and decided to make a gamble. "Contrary to popular belief, Clones _aren't _expendable, they're far superior to standard soldiers and they take longer to make than droids. Every one of them, particularly veterans and elites, are irreplaceable. Treating them like they're easy to replace is a waste of military assets and could be construed as _treasonous_ under certain conditions. Nor was everyone in that fleet a Clone either, plenty of former Judicials and active PSF forces were assigned to the invasion force."

She hated being callous about it, but a man like Gresler wasn't one to be swayed by appeals of morality.

The Captain mulled her logic for a few moments. ["I see your point... Very well then, I have no issue with recovering as many Republic assets as we can. Gresler out."] The man replied before cutting comms, his holo fading out of existence an instant later.

"Sir…?"

"I _hated_ having to say that, but I had a gut feeling he wouldn't listen to anything else…" She apologized to Perth. "_Bic ni skana'din_." She muttered in _Mando'a_, a sign of her annoyance at the entire affair showing.

"It's all good sir, just rather jarring to hear you talk like that." Her XO replied.

"I have a feeling I'm going to be using that logic a _lot_ on _di'kuts_ and_ chakaaryc_ before this war is over." She replied. "Have the _Acclamators_ located the surviving Clones?"

Perth took a second to check before nodding and pointing at one of the tall transpariplast monitoring boards standing to either side of the holotable, which lit up as he moved his finger across it. "Yes sir, scattered at multiple crash sites across the planet."

"None of them are near the largest concentration of droids…" Kelia noticed quickly.

"Which means that's where the Jedi are, we've come to that conclusion as well sir."

She nodded. "Launch gunships and fighters, send a few squadrons of Torrents to clear the LZs near the Clones and retain the rest for our own defense in case they launch fighters from the foundries on the surface… As for the main force, I suspect that this 'Grievous' is prepared to counter a full-scale assault intended to relieve the Jedi… Tell Fordo that his ARCs are on their own down there after our initial turbolaser strikes."

It was a tough call, but a single gunship might be able to pull off that mission with minimal risk.

"And the Commandos?" Her XO inquired.

"Well, let them perform their roles as needed and give the advisors adequate support, this is a smash and grab operation and I want to be out of the system before the Separatists send a fleet to pincer us in here."

"Understood sir, we'll get right on it!"

* * *

Down in the _Kestrel's_ hangar deck, Fordo and a mixed bag of Beta and Gamma class ARC troopers strode towards a custom marked gunship, two Beta class ARC pilots already aboard and doing pre-flight.

The only other Alpha here was Alpha-55, Stec, whom was lower ranked than Fordo.

Alpha-77 never really got used to the Betas and Gammas since they were only trained indirectly by Jango through training regimes developed for the elite Alpha Class ARCs, whom only at numbered three thousand Commandos compared to the forty thousand strong Beta class and the currently eighty thousand strong Gamma class.

Not to mention the three hundred thousand strong and growing Clone Commando force, most of whom were still undergoing training back on Kamino using methods pioneered by the _Cuy'val Dar_.

A seemingly impressive number, but they were just a _tiny_ fraction of the _trillions_ of ground combatant and ship crew Clones already in service with the GAR and Republic Navy, not to mention every other specialization and role that existed.

Training was hardly the only difference either, Alphas held officer rank, typically lieutenants, captains, majors, colonels, and commanders, Betas were usually lieutenants, warrant officers, and sergeants, and Gammas largely held the ranks of corporal and lance corporal, with a few sergeants, rendering it easy for outsiders whom knew the distinctions to more easily determine what class an individual ARC belonged to based on armor trim alone.

There were Skirata's Null boys of course but that was _ogir'olar_, irrelevant, at the moment.

Glancing up at the Gunship, the ARC Captain looked at the pilots, the LAAT/arc's pilot, sitting in the rear seat, gave him a thumbs up.

He nodded back as the Advanced Recon Commandos piled aboard. Himself, eleven standard specializations, and two heavy gunners, Stec being one of them, for a total of seventeen counting the pilots and the gunship's Beta class crew chief.

The gunship's doors slid shut, the firing ports closing as well, followed by the hiss of the craft sealing and pressurizing in anticipation of their transit to Hypori below.

Feeling his legs shift, Fordo knew instinctually that the gunship had taken off.

The dull hum of the gunship's artificial gravity coming on confirmed that they had zipped free of the _Kestrel's_ flight deck.

Now all they needed to do was prepare for planetfall.

* * *

**13:6:9 GrS.**

**Wreck of the RAS **_**Harbinger**_**, Hypori, Hypori System.**

Master Ki-Adi-Mundi sweated nervously as thunder echoed around him.

The Droid Army was closing in, soon they'd be overrun, the surviving Jedi cut down one by one in isolation from one another just like Master Barrek had been.

And then everything fell silent.

The din of countless battle droids of varying type and class in addition to droid piloted armored vehicles advancing while firing on the wreck of the _Harbinger_ had stopped.

Glancing from out behind cover he saw that the entire force, over a hundred thousand droids, had stood down on command.

"Why have they stopped?" He whispered under his breath.

Two days of chasing them and now the droids had simply stopped on the precipice of overwhelming victory.

"Master?" Jedi Watchman Tarr Seirr asked warily.

Ki felt a dread set in his bones, there was only one explanation.

Grievous was on the hunt.

"Go, go!" Ki ordered, the younger Ceran running off before the elder Jedi bolted for the cover of the _Harbinger_ with the other jedi, using the force to increase his speed, thinking about his opponent's possible origins as he did so.

He'd recognized the markings on the General's mask, those of a Kaleesh warrior.

The glimpse Ki-Adi Mundi had gotten of the sallow golden reptilian eyes set behind the cyborg's faceplate and his already apparent and quite blatant hatred for Jedi provided further credence to the theory he was a Kaleesh, possibly one of the military leaders who'd participated in their war with the Yam'rii given his grasp of strategy and tactics.

Come to think of it, Kalee's greatest military leader was also known as Grievous… Was there a connection there?

How he'd become a cyborg was irrelevant at this time however, knowledge of what their enemy was capable of was _not_.

Ducking behind cover, Ki looked over at their Knights Tarr Seirr and Aayla Secura, Masters Shaak Ti and K'Kruhk and Padawan Sha'a Gi. All were still alive thankfully, and in decent shape despite nearly a day of running and hiding.

The Troopers who'd survived the crash in their vicinity were all dead by now, Ki nodding his head in remembrance of those brave men before opening his eyes.

"Unstoppable… He is _unstoppable_." K'Kruhk muttered between gasps, the Whipid's body mass working against him here.

"Never have we been outmaneuvered by _droids_ before…" Shaak Ti stated worriedly, the few battles they'd all seen beforehand ended with Republic victories as the CIS was unable to counter shifting conditions. "His strategy is without flaw…" The Togruta muttered.

A bold claim, there were undoubtedly chinks in it, chinks that relied on incompetence and a lack of training.

"This is the end, we're all _doomed_." Sha'a Gi stated sardonically.

The loss of Master Barrek was hitting the young human hard.

"Our predicament is indeed dire, but do not despair." Ki-Adi Mundi stated calmly before clenching his fist. "Focus! We are _Jedi_!"

K'Kruhk nodded sagely while Shaak Ti smiled.

="**Jedi**!"= Came the synthesized growl of Grevious's voice, the Jedi scattering for cover at the sound and igniting their lightsabers as they peered out small gaps in the _Harbinger's_ hull, trying to find Grievous among the horde of droids outside. ="You are _surrounded_. Your army is _devastated_. Help is _not_ coming for you… Make peace with the Force now, for this is your _final_ hour!"= The Droid General boasted. ="But know this, that I, _General Grievous_, am not _completely_ without mercy. I will grant each and every one of you a _warrior's death_. **Prepare**."=

And with that, silence fell over the wreckage and its surroundings, only the whisper of the wind and the faint hum of lightsaber blades breaking it.

And then the sky opened up and brilliant blue light rained down on the droid army, stunning the Jedi speechless as countless CIS units were _atomized_ by a hail of azure turbolaser bolts.

Even Grievous, whom was perched on the hull of the _Harbinger_, was audibly shocked, as he let out a sputtering growl of rage at an event he hadn't foreseen.

A distraction the Jedi quickly took advantage of.

"Fall back further into the wreckage, hurry!" Ki-Adi Mundi hissed, the group of Jedi bolting for shelter further inside the assault ship's wreckage.

By the time the General realized they were gone, it was too late for him to use his initial intimidation tactics to full effect.

They would be on guard next time, but he still had surprise and the Jedi's lack of knowledge on his abilities on his side.

Were he physically capable of it, Grevious would've smiled.

Igniting his 'trophy' sabers, he initiated the hunt.

* * *

**13:6:9 GrS.**

**Senate Building, Senate District, Galactic City, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, secretly the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, felt a whisper ebb on the currents of the force.

Something had shifted in a way he hadn't foreseen, a minute change but one that didn't pose a threat to his plan.

He frowned, he'd have to scry on this further in his spare time, but this unforeseen event represented_ opportunity_ as much as it represented an obstacle.

He smiled; a mirthful grin that sent chills down the spines of the Red Guards assigned to protect him.

They remained silent, fulfilling their vows of silence as needed. In time Palpatine would reveal the truth of their purpose, to protect those he _didn't_ desire to die from becoming unfortunate witnesses to his Sith Power and thus necessitating them being _permanently _silenced.

For now, he would bide it, ensure that his plan went through regardless of deviation.

Sidious had spent _decades_ waiting for this, his order itself having waited for over a millennium.

He was nothing if not flexible.

* * *

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Hypori System.**

"How goes the recovery efforts?" Kelia inquired as she leaned over the holotable.

"So far we've managed to save most of the survivors after clearing the LZs for our recovery ships but they need to move fast before the foundries send reinforcements."

"And the ARCs?" She asked.

"Alpha-77 reports his gunship is approaching the crash site of the RAS _Harbinger_ and is about to observe comms silence."

The Bothan nodded. "Forcespeed Captain…" She whispered softly.

* * *

**13:6:9 GrS.**

**Gunship **_**Rancor One**_**, Hypori, Hypori System.**

["Captain, we're approaching the target."] Beta-909, the pilot of the gunship, reported.

"Broadcast jamming signals." Fordo ordered from the troop bay as the light turned red, the ARC Troopers loading gas and power cells into their weaponry, taking droid poppers, det charges, and thermal detonators and clipping them to their gear.

Fordo spun one his DC-17h heavy commando pistols as he holstered them after checking the gas and power levels, a habit he'd picked up from his template, Jango Fett, via direct observation of the man's habits.

The Betas had a pair of Westar M5 Rifles and a reciprocating quad blaster spread across their number.

Stec on the other hand carried a Z-6 rotary cannon, a weapon starting to increase in prominence in the GAR as production ramped up..

And finally the Gammas took DC-15a rifles and attached BlasTech UGL-15 grenade launchers underneath the barrels, slapping magazines into place in the launchers and ensuring they were pre-cocked for action.

"Open doors!" He barked.

The side doors of the gunship slid open, allowing light to flood into the bays, illuminating the ARCs standing inside.

["Approaching Droid perimeter, we are undetected!"] Beta-909 reported.

"Gun it!" Fordo shouted.

["Sir!"]

The gunship accelerated to top speed and soared over the still reeling droids at low altitude, tearing the cranial units off several hapless B1s and B2s in the process, the gunship ascending slightly it dropped baradium charges from a port just below the rear access door of the troop bay.

Several more unfortunate droids were smacked by the devices, mostly B1s with their heads being torn off, which caused every droid within line of sight of each device to peer down at the explosives before turning in unison and opening fire on the gunship, which ducked under their fire before blowing a hole in part of the crashed assault ship with its rockets and heading inside, landing long enough to drop off the ARCs.

* * *

"Four life signs, one in the rubble!" Fordo shouted as he looked at a scanner connected to the gunship's sensors, pointing to his left.

"Sir!" One of the Betas replied as he headed off in the direction the Captain was pointing in.

"One in the rafters!" He continued as he pointed up.

"Yes sir!" A second Beta class ARC acknowledged as he fired an ascension cable upwards and shot out of sight.

"Everyone else." He said as he put the device away and drew his pistols. "With me, move out!"

The ARCs rushed towards the main cluster of life signs, weapons at ready while the gunship took off to provide cover.

Behind them they could hear _Rancor One's_ weapons thundering away at the droids as they tried to approach.

Directing his ARCs to fan out, Fordo flicked the safeties off on his weapons as they grew ever nearer to the distinctive sounds of lightsaber combat.

Grievous had found the Jedi in the interim, seemingly killing K'Khruk and _definitely_ killing Tarr Seirr given the mangled state of the younger Cerean's cranium, with Ki-Adi Mundi having stepped in to try and defend the injured but still alive Sha'a Gi.

Shaak Ti and Aayla Secura were nowhere to be seen.

Both combatants stopped and turned to face the interloping ARC Troopers just after Grievous swatted Ki-Adi Mundi's lightsaber from his hand and raised one of his own sabers for the killing blow.

Without hesitation, Fordo and his men raised their weapons and opened fire on Grievous with everything they had, blue blaster bolts streaming towards the Droid General.

* * *

**AN: And scene.**

**Little introspective with Palpatine, as Kelia's bombardment distracted Grievous long enough to give the Jedi a fighting chance.**

**Not much of one, but it meant that Sha'a Gi had ****_hope_ that rescue would come,**** which caused him to not recklessly throw his life away here, a very minor change but one that whispered on the currents of the force enough for Sidious to take notice and actually take an interest in her beyond just giving a medal to an officer who did something noteworthy.**

**That's not to say Kelia is safe, if Palpatine views her as a threat to his carefully orchestrated plans then he'd have about as many qualms killing her off via discreetly leaked intelligence as he would turning her into a posterchild for the Republic military's non-Jedi leadership.**

**Only Anakin is inexpendable to him, provided he stays the course Palpatine is discreetly laying for him of course.**

**Also a bit more background lore courtesy of Kelia and Fordo, I've always wondered why only a **_**hundred**_** Alpha ARCs exist in canon.**

**While a suitable number for a planetary military it's horribly inadequate for Galactic Warfare, and as such there are three thousand Alpha ARCs here, not _much_ better, but suitable for the eliteness of the Alphas.**

**A not so subtle reference to Leonidas's Spartans with that number as well.**

**The Betas and Gammas are basically less well trained but with mostly the same genetics, so they're lower on the totem pole. Meant to support the Alpha class ARCs by acting as subordinates.**

**They're also a bit more docile than the very Jango-like Alphas, though not as much as rank and file troopers or even Clone Commandos.**

**Naturally the Commandos are the most numerous due to the amount of **_**Cuy'val Dar**_** trainers, whom trained the initial groups of Commandos, and their training programs were in turn utilized to train hundreds of further squads that the Training Sergeants would likely never meet.**

**It's the industrial scale of war made manifest, trillions of Clone Troopers grown on Kamino and…**

**Well, I'll just save that tidbit for later.**

**And on one final note, Sev'rance Tann, like the Bothan Jedi Glynn-Beti, is a victim of the 'Creators didn't know the established species naming conventions' thing that tends to be common in Star Wars, so I changed her name in the pre-meat tagline thing to reflect the fact she's a Chiss, with Sev'rance Tann being a more drawn out pronunciation used by non Chiss since it's easier for them to say.**


	6. Hypori Exfiltration

**AN: Chapter six and a reminder that Yoda be old as fuck.**

**Like, operating on how old he was when he died, Yoda was probably training his first Padawan when the Mandalorian Excision happened.**

**Also, reminder that Grievous is the one primarily responsible for the CIS being a proper military and not just a random amalgamation of corporate and planetary/sector forces.**

**That alone makes him terrifying considering that none of the CIS's victories would have been possible without him and the Republic would've otherwise rolled right over the Separatists as they scrambled to form cohesive forces.**

* * *

_**"Don't ask me how I survived two blind long-range hyperjumps in one day... I'd rather drink myself into a stupor than try to figure out **_**those**** _odds."_-****Kelia Los'ean, via HNN interview made in the second year of the war.**

* * *

**13:6:9 GrS.**

**Wreck of the RAS **_**Harbinger**_**, Hypori, Hypori system.**

Ki-Adi Mundi bolted out of the way, grabbing his lightsaber with the force as the ARCs opened fire on Grievous, whom also rushed for cover himself.

Blaster rounds ripped through thin metal plating as the ARCs utilized the sensors in their helmets to track Grievous, continuing to spray blue hyper-ionized streaks of particle energy at their target.

One of the Gammas fired a grenade into the chaos while Stec swept his Z-6's stream of fire over the target area, rotary barrels whirring like mad.

The Heavy Gunner's cip-quad thundered away as well, the weapon's four twinned barrels recoiling in pairs, sending heavy blaster bolts slamming into debris and blowing chunks of wreckage apart with each hit.

Grievous bolted through cover, keeping one pace ahead of the Clones as they methodically destroyed everything in his wake, even readily tracking him as he rushed up a wall, which had been part of the engineering bay's ceiling once, with blasterfire.

"Shoot him down! Shoot him down!" Ki-Adi Mundi ordered as blue bolts streaked towards the ever-evasive Grevious; a manic gleam in his eyes that was visible even to Sha'a Gi ash he backed up behind the line of Clones after grabbing his own lightsaber, the Padawan staring at Master Mundi in shock, sensing how close the older Jedi was straying to the Dark Side after all the loss he'd suffered so far.

Three of the Gamma ARCs fired their grenades into the 'ceiling', narrowly missing Grievous and perforating his cape with shrapnel.

"Master! Please! It's not worth it!" He yelled, knowing that the elder Jedi was likely in a rage from the loss of his own Padawan at Grevious's hands.

That snapped Ki out of his haze. The Jedi watching Grievous release his talons and leap down from the ceiling towards a quartet of ARCs.

Realizing instantly that these men stood no chance in close combat if even Jedi had been readily felled by the cyborg, Ki lashed out with the force and threw the Droid General back into the debris, giving the ARCs time to fall back even as Grievous leapt at them again, sabers plunging into the ground where the men had been.

Eyes leering behind his visor, Fordo made the call. "Backup, now!" He barked into his wrist-comm.

Within seconds _Rancor One_ had burst through the wall and hovered there, menacingly.

Grievous, caught in the gunship's spotlights, backed away slowly after spinning around to face it.

The chin lasers on the LAAT/arc opened fire, spraying deadly bolts of energy at Grievous, whom bolted through cover even as it was torn apart behind him.

The gunship ceased fire after a few moments, causing the cyborg to pause and wonder why as he looked at it.

A split-second later he darted away as a salvo of mass-driver fired missiles rocketed towards him, smoke trailing from their drive motors.

"Everyone out!" Fordo shouted, waving the ARCs back to the gunship, the Clones piling aboard with Sha'a Gi.

Ki snarled as he looked at the smoke where Grievous had been, but with his mind cleared he realized their enemy was trying to wear them out and delay until reinforcements arrived.

And so, he followed the Clones and Sha'a Gi onto the gunship which began to take off, Stec, the last aboard, hammering away at Grevious's last known position with the Z-6 before he was hauled to his feet by another pair of ARCs as the doors began to close shut.

Looking towards the forward 'cabin' under the cockpits, where the small medical bay of the craft was, Ki-Adi Mundi recoiled in shock and strode over to the two Jedi lying on the bunk litters, hooked up to breathing apparatuses and green colored biofluid IVs meant to be applicable to the biochemistry of most known humanoid species, bandages and gauze covering fresh lacerations incurred when Grievous tossed them into the wreckage. "Aayla…" He whispered softly to the Rutian Twi'lek before kneeling. "Shaak Ti…"

He gently took his fellow High Council Member's hand, watching the unconscious Togruta breath softly as her respirator hissed. "They've been stabilized sir… They just might make it." Fordo noted from where he and Sha'a Gi stood over the Jedi Master.

"And the others…?" Ki asked, glancing over his shoulder at the ARC Captain.

"They're all dead sir." Fordo replied with a hint of remorse in his tone, the Jedi Master frowning in despair.

Three Jedi dead, two mildly injured, and another two in critical condition…

And they clearly weren't the first given the number of lightsabers Grievous had on him.

_"How many more will that monster kill...?"_

* * *

Grievous stooped over to pick up K'Kruhk's saber, slotting it onto a magnetic holster on his waist with the others he'd collected.

A line of massive explosions ripped through the surviving droids, reducing countless units from B1 and B2s to Spider Droids and AATs to shrapnel and allowing the gunship clearance to flee though the perimeter.

Striding out of the ruins, tattered cloak flowing in the wind gust caused by the explosion, Grievous's eyes narrowed as he watched the gunship flee back to the Republic fleet in orbit.

="Run Jedi, _run_… You have only prolonged the _inevitable_."= He chuckled even though he knew they couldn't possibly hear him.

Now, to get out of the area in case whomever was in command of the fleet above decided to risk a bombardment to try and kill him.

At a remote command, his personal Bellubab-22 assault starfighter, _Soulless One_, arrived within a minute, having been stored in a hangar in a nearby droid foundry at his orders in the event he needed to make a quick escape should the tide of battle turn against him.

It paid to be prudent.

Hopping aboard, Grievous powered the ship on and soared into the sky, broadcasting jamming signals that masked the craft from sensor scans to avoid being detected and therefore intercepted by Republic fighters.

* * *

**13:6:9 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Hypori System.**

Kelia watched as the final gunship, _Rancor One_ raced towards her ship's hangar bays. "Alright, I think it's time for us to go." She stated calmly.

"Sir? What about Grievous, we could knock him out here." Perth inquired.

The Bothan shook her head. "We can't risk the time totally sterilizing the site, it'd take too long to get everything coordinated and for all we know he could have taken a speeder anywhere on the planet by now." She replied, pointing at the energy signatures racing away from the crash site of the RAS _Harbinger_. "Without eyes on the ground, we have no way to tell where he is, and I'm not going to idiotically claim killing him only to be made a fool of when if he shows up later down the line… Believe me I wish we could, but without being able to confirm the location of Grievous and any nearby Seppie fleets it's too risky."

She hated having to make the call, but Grievous was wily by all appearances.

He wouldn't be so easily caught and killed.

"Understood, sir." Perth acknowledged.

"Helm! Bring us about and prepare for the jump to hyperspace." She barked as she turned to the more pressing matter at hand. "Comms, make sure the fleet follows our lead!"

"Sir!" A Clone manning a sensor console, Term, shouted. "Enemy ships coming out of hyperspace!"

Kelia hissed through her teeth at the timing as fifteen _Munificents_, nine _Grandcells_, six _Captors_, eight _Carracks_ and four _Dreadnaughts _bearing CIS blue rather than Republic red, six _Recusants_, four Separatist CD10s, a trio of _Lucrehulks_, and a single _Providence_ jumped out of hyperspace, backed by a dozen _Unstinting_-class escorts, fifteen C-9949s, nine _Gozantis_, six CR90s, five DP20s, and twelve _Hammer_-class pickets in attack formation.

The vessels opened fire immediately, one of the _Consulars_ standing picket being caught off-guard by a pair of _Munificents_ and torn apart in a brilliant fireball by their axial twin heavy turbolasers, which scythed through the small warship's shields and armor as if they weren't even there, igniting the ship's weapons gas reserves and fuel supply, which in turn touched off the reactor and the concussion missile magazines as well with dazzling secondary explosions.

There were no escape pods. Merely debris as the ship was torn into irregular chunks of metal which joined it sister-vessels that'd been destroyed by the minefield, the only recognizable sections identifying it as a _Consular_ being the bridge section and the engines.

"The _Windhover's_ been sunk!" An armored Clone Trooper manning an information console on the command level shouted as he looked at Kelia over his shoulder. "Corvettes _Bestine Star _and _Corusca Dawn_ are reporting damage but they can still make the jump to hyperspace!" He added as one of the DP20s was illuminated by a brilliant flare, one of its drive engines going dark as a stray heavy turbo blast from a _Munificent_ hit it. "Gunship _Song of_ _Selonia_ just lost an engine!"

The _Kestrel_ shook as her shields were hammered next, brilliant flares of blue-white light rippling outwards like water where the bolts struck. It wouldn't be long until the droids, for all their ineptitude, found the range and started taking out more ships.

"Fierfek! Order all ships to dump weapons power to shields!" She snarled as the Clones hurriedly tapped away to reinforce the shields with the extra energy. "Navigation! Course status!" Kelia barked.

"Fleet almost aligned... Transferring the coordinates… We're ready!" He reported.

"Get us all the _hell_ out of here!" The Bothan shouted as an immense cloud of droid fighters and bombers rippled towards the Republic warships like a swarm of angered Geonosians.

Stars turned to streaks, then blurs, and then they were smeared across hyperspace.

They'd made it out alive.

* * *

**13:6:9 GrS.**

_**Soulless One**_**, Hypori System.**

Grievous's eyes narrowed as he watched the Republic fleet blur forward and disappear into hyperspace.

Barring one ship, they'd gotten away.

Not that it mattered too much to him, it wasn't _his_ failure on that regard.

His holocom pinged, the cyborg hitting the answer call button almost reflexively.

General Sev'rance'tann's holo glowered at him after flaring to life. ["General."]

="General."= He replied. ="I take it that they escaped…?"= Grievous asked sarcastically.

["That they did… How many Jedi did you kill _this_ time?"] The Chiss asked, barely restrained rage simmering in her voice.

="Two Masters and a Knight, were it not for their 'rescue party' I would've also taken the lightsabers of two High Council Members, a Padawan, and a second Knight as well."= Grievous chuckled, enjoying the look of frustration on the Chiss Dark Acolyte's face.

["I see… I'll have to redouble my own efforts…"] She admitted begrudgingly, eying her current 'superior' with clear and obvious envy and distaste.

Her near miss with Echuu Shen-Jon and the loss of the Decimators a month ago had been nothing short of a humiliation.

Doubly so since her troops had destroyed _themselves_ during the battle of Krant.

Bothan Infiltrators under the cover of active camouflage had infiltrated her base on Krant and sabotaged the e_ntire_ force of Decimators due to the threat it posed to Bothawui.

When activated in response to Echuu Shen-Jon's arrival, they'd turned on the droid units around them as their original Republic IFF had been reinstalled, and when combined with a virus that locked out manual control…

It meant that she'd been forced to flee the Bothan colony as her base and factories burned around her.

She'd been prepared to give the Jedi Master an arrogant speech, and ended up leaving the Padawan she'd captured behind in the chaos.

Dooku hadn't been amused in the _slightest_ that she'd discounted the Bothans deciding to act against her, punishing the Acolyte _severely_ for the debacle and instating Grievous as Supreme Commander of the Droid Armies in her place, especially after the General proved himself against Durge on a distant space station.

It was only fitting, Grievous had done _far_ more to unify the disparate militaries that formed the CIS than she or that psychotic Gen'Dai ever could. Even before the war unified command structures had already been set into place, contingency plans created, logistics chains simplified as much as necessary, doctrines straightened out, theatres of war dictated, and forces organized into proper lines of battle.

="Permission to come aboard?"= Grievous asked as his fighter approached.

["Granted…"] The Chiss female replied begrudgingly, the glower in her red eyes was partially lost due to the blue-shifting of the hologram.

Not that Grevious cared all that much, let her sulk in her lost battle, he had a _war_ to win.

* * *

**13:6:9 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Hyperspace.**

Kelia strode into the medbay, where Ki-Adi Mundi and Sha'a Gi were sitting, being tended to by medical droids.

She saluted them both. "General, Commander."

"Captain. I suppose we have you to thank for this operation?"

She shrugged. "I merely commanded the naval organization and the bombardment which thinned out the droid perimeter around the _Harbinger_. It wasn't all _that_ much."

"Regardless, I owe you my _life_ Captain." Sha'a Gi said calmly, managing to set aside his perpetual nervousness for once. "After Master Barreck was killed, I believed that all hope had been lost, and then your fleet made themselves known with their bombardment… I would likely have thrown my life away worthlessly against Grievous had you not done so."

Kelia blinked in surprise, her ancestors would be torn between laughing at the irony of a Jedi owing their life to her and ripping their fur out that she was willingly hosting _Jetii_ on her ship. "I… I'm honestly not sure what to say to that…" She admitted, as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

Ki nodded sagely at her. "All four of us owe you a great debt… How many of our men survived?" He asked, knowing he wouldn't like thje answer.

Kelia sighed. "We managed to recover about sixty thousand clones and nonclones…" She said calmly.

It seemed like a large number, but within the context of the fleet lost it was a _fraction_ of their prior strength.

"Then few had time to seek shelter or escape their doomed vessels… As we feared…" He remarked sadly.

"With all due respect General, why wasn't reconnaissance sent in beforehand to ensure the approach was clear?"

Ki winced. "We believed that it would… Take too long… Our Admirals and Captains agreed. None of us viewed the droids as having that kind of tactical ability with Sev'rance Tann disgraced following her defeat on Krant."

Kelia shut her eyes, inhaled, waited a couple seconds, and then exhaled deeply in a calming gesture that made the Cerean Jedi Master wince, even without sensing her emotions he knew she was trying to keep the simmering rage underneath her surface from boiling over. "General… I don't need to be a Bothan to tell you that even a _single_ bit of information that's overlooked can mean the difference between life and death in wartime… I just wished it hadn't cost us so much in lives and material for you to learn the same…"

Part of her wanted to rip into him for the debacle, but there wasn't any point, it would be callous and rude.

Not to mention insubordinate.

"I am aware… And I agree… We were foolish and arrogant. Grievous took advantage of that and killed hundreds of thousands of Republic personnel and three Jedi… Padawan Gi's master among them…"

Kelia knew damn well that the bond between a Jedi and Padawan was not unlike that of a parent and child, or an older and younger sibling. "My condolences… I wish we'd known sooner, maybe we could've…"

Ki held up a hand. "The what-ifs will only serve to increase our self-incrimination Captain… Understand that the lives you _did_ save are most grateful you arrived at all."

She nodded softly before turning to Sha'a Gi. "What was your Master like?"

"Master Barrek? He was… He was like a father to me… Were it not for him I likely would've never become a Padawan due to my issues controlling my fear…" The Padawan said nervously.

Part of Kelia's mind was drawn back to Litat, wondering how her daughter react when informed her mother had been killed in battle when she got older.

"You seem troubled Captain…" Ki mused softly.

"Just thinking about my daughter…" Kelia admitted after a moment. "I still worry about leaving her if I'm killed in battle."

Ki nodded, remembering his own family.

Part of him wondered if Cerea, and his family, were truly safe in this state of war, especially after its Jedi Watchman, Tarr Seirr, was killed only hours ago. "Indeed… I understand that anxiety…" He whispered softly, gently stroking his beard, remembering how one of his daughters, Sylvn, would have likely been killed due to her unwitting involvement in one of Jabba's schemes to spread his influence into the Mid Rim had he not intervened.

The Bothan cocked her head. "I didn't think Jedi from the main Order were allowed to marry…"

"A few exceptions are made depending on culture and species… My own people have an unusually skewed Birthrate of twenty females to every male… Which on top of the accelerated aging of male Cereans means that I was given permission to take a bond wife and four honor wives by the council." Ki had long realized it _was_ rather hypocritical of the council to allow this when other Jedi were struggling to merely _comprehend_ what exactly the order's definition of attachment was.

He'd argued with the council for change before, but Mace wouldn't budge on his traditionalism.

Yoda on the other hand was probably wary of causing a schism, the Grandmaster having been a mere Knight when the Jedi Order nearly collapsed while squabbling about detaching from the Republic in the backlash following the Mandalorian Excision, which also brought the Republic itself to the brink of civil war as Alsakan, Alderaan, Kuat, and Corellia censured Coruscant heavily for the bombardments.

Most of the other council members were split on the subject, Kit Fisto and Shaak Ti both understanding that the dangers of attachments could be mitigated if Jedi were properly educated on the Dark Side and its temptations while Kenobi's opinion was in flux given his Master and Padawan were both decidedly nontraditional.

Plo Koon was also undecided, the Kel Dor having simply acted as a voice of reason to support both arguments.

The Bothan nodded, accepting the explanation. "I see. Well, if you need to use any quarters, I can have some on the officer's living deck prepared for you." She offered.

"That'll be quite alright Captain." Ki replied, I shall meditate here until my fellow Jedi have woken up.

"Very well then." Kelia said before she turned to Sha'a Gi. "And you, Commander?"

"I shall also stay."

The Bothan nodded again. "Very well then, I'll be off attending to my duties. If you need anything, have one of my men attempt to contact me."

"Very well then."

With that, Kelia spun on her heel and crisply strode from the room.

* * *

Kelia sighed as she reclined in her office, the course back to Courscant would under ideal circumstances take them up the Corellian Run via Tatooine.

However, military realities meant they had to bypass that specific section of the route.

Namely since the entire Run from Allanteen to Mon Gazza was in Separatist space, much to her chagrin.

Actually… Without a few risky direct jumps, they'd be marching through CIS territory regardless…

"Kark… I hate this…" She moaned in dismay, placing a hand on her forehead as she muttered softly.

The only other option was to offer parlay with the Hutts.

It was going to cost the Republic a pretty credit for them to allow this many ships through, but it was their only option.

Sighing again, Kelia clicked her desk's comms. "Bridge, this is Los'ean… Where exactly are we jumping to?"

["Direct route to Triple Zero ma'am."]

The Bothan blinked in surprise. "Uh… Did I hear you wrong or did you actually say _Coruscant_."

["Affirmative, we're en-route to Coruscant."]

Kelia screamed internally as she tried to figure out dumb their luck was with _two_ cross-Galaxy jumps working out in one day, and got nothing.

By all odds they should all be dead.

Maybe the Force was smiling upon them today?

["Captain…? You okay?"]

"Yeah…" She replied after a moment, voice cracking slightly as her prior understanding of the Galaxy was fed a thermal detonator and _utterly_ destroyed. "I'm fine… Might need a drink when I have the time thought.."

["… Very well then, sir. We'll notify you when we arrive. Bridge out."]

She looked at her desk, then at the locker under it.

"Eh, I'll save it for later…" She sighed as she leaned back again and decided to take a quick nap.

* * *

The alarm chime woke Kelia from her slumber. "Los'ean…" She grumbled softly as she hit the comms button.

["Captain, we're about to decant from hyperspace."]

"How long was I out…?" She asked lazily.

["A couple hours sir."]

She rubbed her eyes with her free hand, the stress must be getting to her more than she thought, then again, she'd been dealing with nerve wracking situations for the past day on top of nearly _dying_.

She rubbed a hand over the thinned-out blond fur and partially missing hair she had since been hiding under her officer's cap, a reminder of the close call.

It'd grow back with time thankfully.

"Right… I'll be up on the bridge shortly…"

She realized belatedly that she _really_ had to use the refresher.

"_Kriff…"_

* * *

**13:6:10 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Perth looked over to see Kelia stride onto the bridge not long after the fleet had jumped out of hyperspace.

"You're running a bit behind Captain."

"Sorry, in all the commotion I forgot to use the refresher…" She apologized, blond facial fur tinging a bit in embarrassment.

The Clone shrugged nonchalantly as they walked to the fore of the bridge. "What's our landing approach anyways?"

"We've been instructed to take the _Kestrel_ down towards Dock 66, near the Jedi Temple." Her XO replied.

"Figures…" She muttered. "Helm, follow the flight plan."

"Sir!" The Clone replied as he confirmed the ship's course, which was separating from the rest of the fleet.

"Looks like some new ones showed up sir." Perth noted pointing at a few squat _Acclamator_/_Venator_ hybrid vessels sitting among the groupings of ships that made up Home Fleet, mixed in with _Gladiators_, _Arquitens_, _Dreadnaughts_, CD10s, _Praetor Bs_, _Acclamators_ refit as carriers and heavy cruisers, _Venators_, _Carracks_, _Peltas_, a handful of _Mandators_ serving as anchorpoints for defensive fleet groups and a plethora of smaller and mostly Corellian vessels like _Consulars_ with both Charger c70 and Sentinel c30 refits, _Gozantis_, CSS-1 Star Shuttles converted to Gunboats via Patroller c15 retrofits, CR90s, CR70s with Vanguard c20 suites, and DP20s.

There were even a few larger _Acclamator _types she barely recognized as well among the formations, likely _Sarcina_-class heavy assault ships, which carried twice the complement of a standard _Acclamator_.

Every last ship bearing the grey with red striping of the Republic Navy and the open circle emblem marked proudly on their hulls.

"Looks like the new _Velite_-class from Rothana, according to scuttlebutt I heard at the O Clubs on Coruscant they're supposedly roughly par with Rendili's _Victory_ project, even if they don't have the same warhead load." Kelia observed after getting a better look at the newer warships.

It still amazed her how _fast_ new vessels could be churned out with modern technology.

Perth nodded as they passed one of the groups of warships on their way down, Torrents escorting the Star Destroyer on her approach to ward away any ships that decided to brave the restricted flight zones.

* * *

The _Kestrel _swooped down towards the planet's surface and angled towards a dock not far from the Temple District, the craft's immense landing gear deploying to help keep the ship grounded and to stabilize her on her repulsor fields.

Kelia sighed as she stared out the viewports before keying up her comms. "Attention all crew, this is your Captain, standby for disembarking."

At least Gresler hadn't contacted her again, thank the stars.

* * *

**13:6:10 GrS.**

**Dock 66, Temple District, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

The diminutive Master Yoda watched out the docking berth's windows as the _Kestrel_ settled on her landing struts alongside several other onlookers including Mace Windu and Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine.

A Mandalorian wearing gold armor was also present but standing in the back next to an ARC Captain and a group of four Clone Commandos wearing Black Armor, which meant he was Kal Skirata according to the report master Zey filed to the council.

It was quite clear he didn't particularly _want_ to be here next to a bunch of Jedi but had to be out of necessity.

Yoda did not blame him, Jedi and Mandalorians normally mixed about as well as water and oil.

The sun was beginning to rise over Galactic City, silhouetting the _Kestrel__'s_ distinctive profile with the dawn rays that peered through distant arcology towers and megascrapers.

From the closest boarding tube, Master Ki-Adi Mundi and Padawan Sha'a Gi descended, both still in their tattered robes.

Following them were the ship's Captain, some ARC Troopers, several Clone Commandos, a Bothan spy of all things.

And three coffins with the Republic flag laid over them, each one bearing a number set in Aurebesh and a copper tint painted on the trimming.

Yoda grimaced, that explained the Mandalorian's presence, each training sergeant had formed a bond with the men they'd effectively raised.

Some strong like Skirata's.

Others not so much.

As Grandmaster of the order, he'd ended up hearing several complaints coming from Arca Barracks about the perceived lower quality of the ARCs and Commandos being trained by newer instructors, including other Clones, rather than _Cuy'val Dar_ and Fett himself.

It wasn't exactly _his_ job mind, but the Master Kenobi had an unflattering enough opinion of the Kaminoans without their input as well, which led Yoda to have a list of candidates drawn up to ensure the Kaminoans treated the Clones more humanely, as that was one of the primary complaints regarding the programs.

Perhaps Master Ti would find such a role suitable after her recovery?

But that was a matter for another date.

"Good to see you again, Master Mundi, Padawan Gi… Wish I do, that it were under better circumstances." Yoda stated sadly to his fellow Jedi.

"As do we, Master Yoda. Master Ti and Knight Secura are already being transferred to the Temple by gunship, so they can be placed in the care Master Che and her healers." The Cerean said calmly as an LAAT droned into the air before angling towards the Temple hangar.

Yoda tracked it briefly before nodding sagely. "Lost to us, too many already have been… Long this war will be…" He mused before turning to watch the handover of the deceased Commandos. "More pain it will bring, before said and done, everything is."

* * *

Kal fought back tears even as Omega shifted uncomfortably behind him and Ordo as the three coffins containing the _intact_ bodies from Copper squad were carted up, the dead Commandos to be cremated in traditional Mandalorian funeral at a later date.

He may not have been as close to Copper as he'd become to Omega, but they were still _his_ boys.

"Tell me, did they die fighting?" He asked.

Kelia bowed her head in a nod, the urn containing Genet's remains in her hands. "_Val ru'ash'amur sa verda_." She stated calmly. "_Val runi kelir ke'pare par mhi o'r te manda_."

Kal and Ordo, whom wasn't wearing his helmet, quickly hid their visible shock at her fluent _Mando'a_, especially her being poetic about it before nodding as the Bothan handed the urn to Skirata. "What killed them?" He asked.

Any information to keep as many alive as possible, especially those Commandos and ARCs who were still undergoing training without the _Cuy'val Dar _or Jango there to provide them with the proper firsthand instruction they needed.

Delta all glanced downwards guiltily. "A new type of Commando Droid, high performance, with reaction times rivaling, maybe even better than our own… One of them nearly got Scorch in an ambush…" Boss finally said. "Copper went up against about _eleven_ of them… Genet was the last one standing by appearances given he blew his suicide charge."

Ordo visibly stiffened, having not expected this upset, it was rare that he and his brothers were caught flat-footed by something.

Likewise, Omega squad, even behind their armor, looked horrified given their body language. They'd all lost their own original brothers at Geonosis, to them, Copper was a lucky group, some of the invincible ones.

To hear they'd been brought down by a relative handful of droids that were on par with them was almost inconceivable.

Moreover to hear that _Delta_ of all squads nearly lost a man to a single one of these droids.

"I see…" Kal ground out. "What about the losses on Hypori?"

"Near total…" Kelia muttered. "Grievous tore the force apart and killed three of the Jedi… Padawan Gi only survived because I ordered a bombardment to clear the way for Fordo and his men. Our taskforce barely escaped the enemy reinforcements."

She didn't miss the distrustful glare Ordo sent at the Alpha ARC, but ignored it for the moment. "No losses in the actual recovery operation… Though they _did_ have a close call with Grievous… As for other survivors… We only rescued Sixty Thousand…"

"I see…" Kal replied. More dead Clones and the poor PSF and ex-Judicial bastards who went with them… "And the _Jetii_?"

"Understanding how _horribly_ they karked up by not sending recon in." She stated flatly as she glanced over at Master Mundi as he spoke with the Chancellor, whom was flanked by a quartet of his Red Guards and a squad of Clones with armor bearing ornate blood-red trimming, members of the new Coruscant guard and among the first Clones to bear unit based color schemes rather than rank based ones, an initiative that was slowly gaining steam in the GAR from what she'd overheard from the 608th talking about.

As much as Skirata _wanted_ to doubt that, he had no reason to believe she was trying to defend the Jedi unjustly given the plainness of the statement. "And what's your _real_ opinion of them?"

"I'm honestly not sure, I was raised on stories of them being hypocrites, and they kind of _are_ all things considered... But far as I can tell that's only the Order as an _institution_." She said after a few moments. "It's different when you talk to people and give them at least some semblance of a chance." Kelia admitted with a shrug. "But what do I know? I've been fed stories passed down over decades by a clan of disgruntled Bothans still bitter about being kicked out of Mandalorian Space and effectively rendered _dar'manda _by their own people in the aftermath of the _Dral'Han_." The Bothan added casually.

The Omegas and Ordo recoiled in surprise, and even Skirata grimaced as Kelia casually gave him a reminder that the _Mando'ade_ were little better than the _Jetii_ when it came to their own hypocrisy even at the best of times.

All too many leading _Mando'ade_ supported the expulsion of the adopted non-humans according to history books, viewing the lack of resources as a convenient excuse to purge elements they viewed as tainting the _Resol'nare_. The Republic occupation forces had looked the other way and even encouraged it, while Coruscant did nothing given it was gridlocked just attempting to prevent an _Eighteenth_ Alsakan War as Alsakan and Corellia threatened to secede along with hundreds of other worlds in the aftermath of the Excision.

Those same _Mando'ade_ had conveniently forgotten that _humans_ were themselves adopted into the culture given that the Taung were the original Mandalorians.

It disgusted him, and Kal found himself honestly wondering what she thought of his Clan and others as a result.

Every clan had a hand in every bit of the political division of Mandalore, Clan Skirata was no exception.

Palpatine soon strode over to the group, interrupting any further attempt at conversation. "Sergeant Skirata. Captain Ordo." He greeted cordially, ignoring the Commandos, whom didn't care all that much.

Kal nodded gruffly while Ordo remained stoic as the Chancellor's gaze turned to Kelia. "And you must be Captain Los'ean."

"Yes, your Excellency." She acknowledged, bowing her head in deference briefly.

"I found the report of the victory your tactics brought at Muunilinst most uplifting given other recent news, many within the command staff and media are already calling that type of maneuver the 'Los'ean Storm'."

Kelia blinked in surprise, having not really thought all too hard about the effect her plan would've had psychologically on friendly forces given her focus was on minimizing friendly losses in the space engagement. "They are?" She asked.

"Indeed, several senators have already nominated you for several awards, among them the Chancellor's Service medal and the Holt Cross given the outcome of the entire battle was determined by your actions." Palpatine explained to the stunned Bothan. "No doubt confirmation will pass through the Senate, not only to drum up support among your people, but also to provide a beacon of hope that we will win this terrible war."

"I… Don't know what to say…" She whispered, briefly noticing Skirata and the Commandos walking off, Ordo trailing behind them after casting a wary glance back at her and the Chancellor.

It hadn't really been all that much, just a spur of the moment idea that had been allowed to proceed by her superiors.

And she'd destroyed an entire CIS fleet doing so…

Maybe it _was_ something impressive... She didn't really know, that was up to the historians to decide.

"Chancellor." A red-marked Coruscant Guard Clone Commander wearing a kama and red 'blinder' visor with attached antenna and lights said as they strode up. "You're needed back at the Senate Rotunda."

"Ah, thank you Commander Fox." He said before looking back to Kelia. "I wish I could speak to you on the matter a bit longer, but the call of the Senate reaches out for me yet again, I wish you well my dear and I will be observing your career with _great_ interest." Palpatine said earnestly as he turned and walked away, heading towards a waiting executive shuttle with his guards in tow.

Kelia blinked, still dumbfounded by how _important_ one little thing had made her to the Republic war effort.

And placed a _massive_ target on her back for the CIS to go after.

Korsk walked over and prodded his wife on the shoulder. "Kelia, love… You okay?"

She shook her head. "I'm fine… Just thinking about relocating Litat to Coruscant, or somewhere we can keep a better eye on her…"

"You're worried about CIS agents…"

Kelia nodded slowly. "Yeah…"

He nodded. "Which is why she's here, back at _your_ planetside apartment, both your mother and I figured it would be easier on your mind than keeping her near Bothawui."

Her eye twitched briefly before she suddenly _smiled_ at him.

"And you didn't think to tell me earlier?" She asked, false sweetness oozing from her tone.

Korsk's fur rippled as he realized what was about to happen.

When she was sure nobody was looking, Kelia slapped him upside the head.

* * *

**AN: And scene.**

**Honestly it took a bit to get it going after the Hypori stuff ended, but now we're into the meat of the Prequels.**

**Palpatine's machinations and the politics involved.**

**Little bit of Skirata here, I don't particularly like how he and his clan get away with so much, but I also don't judge the man too harshly, for all her faults Karen Traviss at least made him a legitimately flawed individual.**

**Too bad she didn't exactly want to show the Jedi as having any sort of positive side to them.**

**Not to mention how she handles Etain and makes her into a complete and utter **_**idiot**_** and then tries to **_**justify**_** said stupidity because the entire narrative around her falls apart otherwise.**

**Anyway I'm gonna stop myself right there before I get into a massive rant about how idiotic Etain is so onto the next thing,**** the **_**Velite**_**-class is the fanon Rothana Destroyer design, while the **_**Sarcina**_**-class**** is the Republic Supercruiser from 'The Cestus Deception', albeit scaled up so that it's an actual marked improvement over the **_**Acclamator**_**.**

**The Sentinel c30 is a retrofit version of the _Consular_ based on the _Invincible _used by Ranuplh Tarkin as his flagship in the Stark Hyperspace war, and is used as a command ship for corvette groups due to the heavy firepower of the type.**

**The Patroller c15 retrofit is based on the modified CSS-1 Star Shuttles used by the ORSF and their allies as part of the informal 'Republic Navy' in the SHW.**

**The Vanguard c20 is an official retrofit package for the CR70 and is used by the _Sundered Heart_ in Empire at War.**

**Also I updated several chapters because I realized the _Dreadnaught_-class has a second A rather than an O. Not a big nitpicky thing but it was enough to bother me a bit because of the sheer difference between it and a Star Dreadnought even if both spellings are interchangeable.**

**Also Ordo not knowing about the Commando droids is a reference to how sudden their initial appearance was in TCW, and the threat they posed to regular Clones when put into an offensive role is not to be underestimated.**

**Naturally they do more poorly when on defense, because they're droids and therefore cannot account for more 'inspired' plans.**

**Also yes, the Dock 66 reference was intentional. And as for the Los'ean Storm maneuver, Kelia is the first officer to realize that a sizable number of _Acclamators_ firing off their Torpedoes at range is a powerful force with little comparison in conventional warfare outside the Empire's later Torpedo Sphere in the ability of such an attack to credibly threaten significantly larger vessels like Star Dreadnoughts.**

**(Notably the _Executor_-class Star Dreadnought _Lusankya_ was defeated by Rogue Squadron during the 'Bacta War' through the use of spamming concussion missiles at it, albeit the _Lusankya_ was undercrewed and with much degraded skills among its extant personnel owing to the ship have been buried on Coruscant for the better part of several years for use as a secret prison by Imperial Intelligence and the Emperor's emergency escape ship should Coruscant fall to an attack that the Imperial Navy cannot stop.)**

**Hell, in-universe this tactic could have reignited interest that type (The concept of the Torpedo Sphere in Disney Canon dated back to the Invasion of Naboo era, which I find reasonable since no units were produced owing to a lack of political will or need and it remained a concept for over a decade), a single craft which could in theory destroy entire fleet groups, with the shield cracking siege role re-added later in development to justify production given the lack of capital ships facing the Empire after the defeat of the CIS and its holdouts before the first units could enter service.**


	7. Downtime: Home Aurek

**AN: Chapter 7.**

**Don't necessarily feel this is a particularly strong chapter by any right, but it's not supposed to, it's supposed to be a character building moment.**

**That and I guess every story has to have its weak points.**

* * *

_**"The sudden appearance of the Grand Army of the Republic was followed immediately by previously unused sections of Coruscant's 'surface', some of which had remained vacant for two decades, being repurposed into **_**titantic**_** staging areas and bases for the new military, which used Coruscant as its nerve center, including everything from supply depots, vehicle pools, starfighter hangars, armories, medical facilites, and barracks to post exchanges, stores, bars, non-mess food services, clubs, and housing for military families. Detractors noted the sudden timing of it all as being more than coincidence, however these same people also forget that the Clone Army remained unknown to then Chancellor Palpatine until reported by one of the Jedi."**_**-Exerpt from the _Imperial Handbook, Twentieth Edition._ Post-Yavin production run: never released.**

* * *

**13:6:11 GrS.**

**Kelia Los'ean's apartment, Naval Base Aurek, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Kelia made a noise as she stirred, her husband's arms wrapped around her naked form.

He'd _more_ than made up for his colossal screwup in not telling her that part of their family, their daughter included, had moved to Coruscant to support her.

Stars, it'd been _months_ since they'd had sex that good, before she went to Anaxes.

Actually... It had been that long since she and Korsk even had sex at all.

Managing to extricate herself from his grip and slipping out of the grey bed, the apartment was always too drab for her tastes anyways, Kelia walked to the refresher, grabbing some fresh clothes on the way.

As much as she would've liked to spend time snuggling in the afterglow, she needed to clean herself off and report in for duty.

And so, she stepped into the shower after setting the clothes on the counter, turning on the sonic so that she could clean off.

As Kelia did so, she began to mull about her ship. The _Kestrel_ was a powerful vessel, but… There were always improvements that could be made…

Point defense was sorely lacking, most of it spread along the laterals. Maybe added defensive rotary laser cannons on certain areas of the ventral and dorsal surfaces in addition to the superstructure for last ditch defense against fighters and warheads alike?

"Could work…" She whispered as she lathered her legs.

Then there was of course the issue of the main battery… Which could be improved…

Ventral firepower was weak due to the requirement that the ship be able to land, with only ten twin medium turbos under the forward section.

She'd have to check with engineering on that, maybe some heavy turbos were possible... But that seemed like a thing more for a drydock.

Of course, the Navy could easily tell her to shove any requests up her _shebs_ and make do with a stock vessel because they're not going to cater to the whims of every captain of the line due to the costs involved.

Well… Maybe she could at least start asking for bombers for her vessel's wings, replace five of the Torrent squadrons and take an additional three squads for ninty-six bombers.

Maybe some _Cords_ replacing six of the other Torrent squadrons for rapid response defense against fighters too, which left over two hundred and fifty torrents.

Yeah, that'd definitely work and make the ship more flexible in an engagement, maybe have some of Koensayr's new BTL-A2s for the bombers. The older A1s were…

_Clunky_ and not at all suitable for anything more than museum pieces or target practice to say the least.

Stepping out of the shower and drying the remaining mist out of her fur, Kelia slipped on her undergarments and uniform as well before doing up her hair more formally.

Picking up her datapad from where it sat on the grey counter, she'd snark about noticing a theme but it'd be pointless right now, hooked to the charger.

Turning it on, she checked her messages.

Among them was a one from the Office of the Chancellor, which had arrived overnight.

[_To Captain Kelia Los'ean, Republic Navy, we cordially invite you and your husband to a Senatorial Gala held at the Presidential Palace at the behest of the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic, Sheev Palpatine. The affair will begin at sixteen hundred hours Senate District Time on the thirteenth of the sixth month of the thirteenth year after the Great Resynchronization and continue until ending time. Formal wear is required; as an addendum, military dress uniforms are acceptable. This invitation will serve as a form of leave from any military matters you may otherwise have attended unless unexpected deployment contingencies are invoked._]

Kelia blinked. The_ Chancellor _had invited _her_ to a formal affair?

Was what she did at Muunilinst _really_ enough to get his notice?

She shook her head, deciding to let Korsk sleep for the moment before walking out of their bedroom and heading down the hall to the door to the central living room, pressing the button on the door panel.

And nearly bumping into _her_ mother, whom stood there on the other side of the doorway, holding a cooing Litat in her arms, the 1 year old trying to reach for her grandmother's muzzle.

The jumpers the tiny Bothan wore had Clone Trooper helmets printed on them, which made Kelia slightly sickened when she realized how _quickly _companies had jumped on the 'support the troops' bandwagon given the war was only a couple months old.

Most of said companies either didn't know or didn't _care_ that Clones were viewed as Republic _property_ rather than troops as well.

"Really _Kel'ika_? You throw all your _aden_ on your _riduur_ for his own stupidity but then nearly miss spending at least_ some _time with your daughter before leaving for your duties?" Cath Los'ean inquired, an eyebrow raised on the older Bothan female's face. "It's not like you're going to be late if you take a minute or two."

Kelia, despite being unusually tall for a Bothan female, or a Bothan in general, at roughly 176 centimeters, was still no less intimidated by her 149cm tall mother. Especially with the guilt that she very well could have walked out without spending even some time with her daughter. "I uh…" She sighed. "I was just a bit distracted by a message I got…" She admitted after a few moments.

Cath shook her head and sighed as Litat noticed her mother and began making upset sounding noises while reaching out for her. "You always were a bit of a space-brain _Kel'ika_. Here, she wants her _buir_."

Kelia holstered her datapad and gently took her daughter. "Hey there _ad'ika_." She said sweetly as the little Bothan began cooing happily and clapping. "Did _ba'buir_ take good care of you?"

It was common in their clan to mix _Mando'a_ in with basic and Bothese, a way of being openly defiant against the attempts by other clans, including clan Alya in particular, to try and homogenize them due to the perceived threat to their political power clan Aean posed due to its rapid growth and immense prominence in the Bothan sector forces.

It was also a way of remembering their heritage, to prevent them from fully becoming _dar'manda_. Often by poking fun at Death Watch for still holding blindly to the warrior ways of the Crusaders and Neo Crusaders when it was clear that Mandalore's time in the sun as a conquering power had passed.

One of Kelia's favorites in terms of gallows humor was 'How many Death Watch _Mando'ade_ does it take to conquer an _auretii_ planet?' with the punchline being 'Nobody knows, they're too busy shooting other _Mando'ade_ to invade anything!'.

Still, their own battle was slowly becoming a losing one as time dulled their connection to their past, especially with the current generation as many, such as Kelia, notably fumbled with anything more complex than a few sentences at a time in _Mando'a_ in contrast to their parents, whom were able to hold lengthy conversations in the language.

Thankfully, Kelia was at least rectifying that slowly but steadily for herself.

Korsk, having been born to clan Alar, specifically the Sei'lar family, was still learning the language and was stumbling on the more subtle cultural elements, but he was well liked enough by the rest of her clan for at least making an earnest effort to learn.

Litat made a giggling burble as Kelia gave her a peck on the forehead. "I'd spend more time with you _ad'ika_ but I have things to do, maybe when I get some leave time okay?"

The youngling made a noise that Kelia really didn't know how to translate, but became increasingly fussy when handed back to Cath, whom sighed. "I know you wanted to follow in my footsteps _ad'ika_, but you could've waited a bit longer to have a child… Or maybe not gotten utterly drunk with your husband like a pair of _di'kuts_ when consummating your marriage. Stars know what would've happened had your _buir_ not been there for you when_ I_ was on deployment aboard the _Light of Kothlis_."

Kelia's fur rippled, well aware that she'd screwed up by not thinking about the issue more thoroughly. "I know mother, Korsk and I both should've been more cautious…" Kelia smiled softly. "But I wouldn't exchange her for the Galaxy…"

Cath gave her daughter a wry grin. "That's good to hear. All too many beings dodging responsibility these days, especially those _hut'uuns_ in the Senate and Trade Guilds."

"It's how this war began…" She muttered softly as she strode past her mother, stopping long enough to speak to her daughter. "_Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum_, _ad'ika_." She whispered as she nuzzled Litat, whom cooed softly in response.

And with that, Kelia strode out through the living room and out into the hallway.

Which was _also_ painted grey, something she hadn't realized when she and Korsk came back from a night of drinking.

"Why the hell is everything grey on this fekking base?"

* * *

**13:6:11 GrS.**

**Naval Base Aurek Group Seven Command Offices, Naval Base Aurek, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Kelia felt like hell as she worked on yet another stack of forms related to more formal repairs to the _Kestrel_ and replacements for lost starfighters, pilots, vehicles, and troopers.

Not to mention the utter annoyance that was trying to replenish their medical supplies despite the relatively limited amount expended.

And of course, there was the disciplinary action regarding the brawl on mess deck four, which had earned her an informal rebuke from some Desk-Admiral for 'not keeping a closer eye on the situation' even in spite of the explanation regarding how the Kaminoans and their callousness had prevented any of the Clones from being open about the dispute from the start.

Best to just ignore that for the moment, it'd come to nothing in the end given there were more important matters at hand.

Such as the combat logs she had to check over and fill out in addition to the resupply forms.

The Bothan swore that they kept physical flimsiwork around just to torture officers as she signed off on a torpedo replenishment form for the _Kestrel's_ forward tubes.

She'd at least kept her desk impeccable despite how cramped her planetside office was, and was planning on getting a model of a _Venator_ for it at some point to go with the holos she had sitting about.

Reclining in her seat and groaning loudly, Kelia pulled out a holobook from a small shelf on one of the desk 'legs' and began to scroll through it, finding herself not in the mood for reading at the moment.

Might as well finish the paperwork and then do _something_ with her spare time.

A thought came to her, wondering about how the Clones on base were treated.

So made her decision, she'd go talk to them during her lunch.

A burnished grey 3PO unit bearing Republic Naval markings and yellow trimming on its plating waddled in carrying another stack of flimsiplast forms, plopped some down on Kelia's desk and then promptly left without a word.

Kelia simply exhaled. Her plans had been amended to go talking to some of the Clones on base _after_ she finished up the latest bout of paperwork, one which was related to the planned memorial wall on the _Kestrel _that Commander Kursk had mentioned a month back for the inevitable casualties.

It was grim work, but it needed to be done.

* * *

**13:6:11 GrS.**

**Mess Hall 29, Naval Base Aurek, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

"And you see, that's why the Alphas will beat just about anyone." A Clone laughed as he prodded his fork into noodles he was eating.

"What about a Jedi?" A second Clone asked.

"Well the Alphas were trained by Jango, and Jango killed Jedi with his bare hands din't he?" A third Clone pointed out as he picked up his nerf burger.

"I guess so…" The second Clone conceded, kicking a foot against a support bar for the table.

"Hey!" A fourth Clone piped up. "Blackboot at your six Tenner."

The named Clone turned around to see Kelia enter, talking to a Clone Sergeant whom had his helmet off, the man laughing at a comment she'd made.

"What's an officer doing mixing it up with us grunts?" One of the other Clones mumbled.

"Looks like she's a ship Captain too." A fifth noted.

"She's kinda… Eh, what's the word for it…?"

"Married?" Quinn chuckled as he sat down with something that could best be described as a pair of sandwich rolls and some fish cake.

"You know her?"

"She's the Captain of the ship the 608th is attached to."

"What's she like? Typical officer?"

"Nah, anything but. Lot of the _vode_ on the ship view her as a protective big sister or something." Quinn said as he took a bite of fish cake. "She's fair when doling out punishments too. Few _vode_ got into a long-running dispute a month ago, ended up causing a brawl a few days back… She mostly just cut their leaves a bit."

"You guys get leave!?" One of the other Clones asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, she actually treats us like humans." Quinn confirmed. "Kinda the benefit of the GAR not having standardized practices regarding Clones and… Well anything regarding leave and that sort of stuff. Hell, she actually made sure we get _paid_ of all things, not much I mean but at least they're creds we can spend on stuff, no matter how kriffing stupid it is. She speaks _Mando'a_ too so she can actually laugh with us at the dirty jokes whenever she's checking on one of the departments when we have some downtime, doesn't hover over our shoulders either."

"Lucky bastards." One of the other Clones muttered. "My CO barely gives us downtime."

"Well that's not right at all, we're not kriffing droids now are we?" Quinn muttered, tapping his chin.

"I'd rather _die_ than become a 'wet clanker'." Anther Clone agreed.

A seventh Clone gently nudged another as the mess fell silent when a pair of human Ensigns with haughty stances walked in and moved down the line of tables, the darker skinned male sneering openly at the Clones while the lighter skinned one simply had a smug grin on his face.

"Oh look, it's old _di'kut _and _di'kutshy'a_." One of the Clones chuckled softly. "Bet this'll end well."

"They're going for that _vod_ over there." Someone whispered, pointing out a red-striped Clone Captain with Jaig eyes on his helmet and whom was eating alone.

"Really? That's a new low, even for those two factory commission Judicials." A ninth Clone muttered dryly.

* * *

"Trooper, I'm afraid this table is reserved." The lighter skinned human said condescendingly, a core world accent to his voice as the two approached the table.

The Clone kept looking away from them, deciding not to take the bait.

"Did you hear us _Trooper_?" The darker skinned human sneered as he strode closer. "You're being addressed by a superior officer. Respond accordingly."

The man shrugged. "Didn't see any names and nobody told me it was meant for Junior Officers who think they belong in an enlisted mess."

The first officer simply laughed. "Oh please, nobody cares about what a 'wet droid' thinks, _we_ say that the table is reserved for our use."

"Under _whose_ authority, **Ensign**?" A soft but testy voice asked from behind them.

Both men turned around and saw Kelia standing there with her arms crossed, the Bothan looking entirely unamused.

The darker skinned human blanched, quickly spotting her rank badge while his lighter skinned counterpart simply sneered at her, not quite recognizing what the plaque represented . "And what's an _alien_ thinking she's doing here?"

Kelia raised an eyebrow, a wry grin on her face. "I see,_ that's_ how it's going to be…" She said as she pulled out a datapad and began to type into it.

"What in the Galaxy are you doing?"

"Making a note to find out who you are and request a formal letter of reprimand be issued for harassing subordinates and openly disrespecting a superior officer through use of xenophobic comments." She said flatly.

"_You_, my _superior_? Don't make me laugh, what exactly is your rank? Petty Officer?" He scoffed at her.

"_Captain_ Kelia Los'ean, CO of RSS _Kestrel_." She said simply, the smirk still on her face.

"_Kestrel_, undoubtedly some junkheap corvette." He muttered, trying to save face as he began to realize how bad this made him look.

It was the word of a Naval captain against a pair of planetside paper pushing ensigns.

Sabre, standing behind Kelia, simply snickered softly.

"Look up my CSV if you want. I hardly care."

The man sneered at her again and pulled out his own datapad, looking up 'Kelia Los'ean' in the database.

The absolute about-face his expression did was ever so satisfying to the Bothan.

"You… Command… A… S… Star Destroyer…!?" He stuttered as he looked at an image of the _Kestrel _attached to Kelia's Career Service Vitae.

"Did I forget to clarify that I was a Captain _of the Line_?" She asked with false innocence in her voice. "Either way neither of you showed me the proper respect accorded to a superior officer, nor to that Clone Captain, who also outranks _both_ of you I might add, which I _will_ have to inform your CO about. And will likely result in a permanent demerit being placed upon your careers."

She still didn't know what the whole Star Destroyer thing was about, but she decided to roll with it.

Sounded more appealing than 'Attack Cruiser' anyways.

"Now, Ensigns. I sincerely hope you'll both avoid harassing Clones or non-human personnel in the future, otherwise I may request a court martial be initiated if it goes on long enough."

Both men nodded and fled as quickly as possible.

Once they were out of earshot, the _entire_ mess hall burst into cheers, Kelia flushing in embarrassment as Clone and none-Clone enlistedmen alike applauded her.

She glanced down at the Clone Captain, whom gave her a confused glance. "You alright…" She trailed off as she realized she didn't know his name.

"CT-7567." The Clone stated flatly. "And I'm fine sir. Those two idiots mess around down here because they think their printer copied Judicial graduation certificates mean something, and because everyone in the O Clubs would have them NJP'd in a heartbeat."

Kelia nodded in understanding. "That's good… What's your name?"

"My name…?" The Clone looked down at his table before looking back up at her, a smirk on his face, it was unusual that an officer asked for a Clone's nickname.

"Call me Rex, sir."

She smiled back. "Rex… Mind if I get some grub and sit down for a chat?"

"Not at all sir."

* * *

**13:6:11 GrS.**

**Tower Seven, Naval Base Aurek, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Kelia sighed as she watched a group of CR90s take off from a set of distant landing pads from a balcony on the base of Naval Base Aurek's number seven traffic control tower, the building which also housed her office and which, like its siblings, towered five klicks over the surrounding area to provide maximum visual coverage.

Further off she could see the endless forest of towers that made up Galactic City, gleaming chromes and bronzes with mix of other colors scattered throughout.

A welcome break from the thrice-damned monotone grey that permeated the base and its housing areas. Which reminded her that she needed more colorful furniture and decorations to break up the monotony in her apartment.

Still it had been a decent enough day, she'd managed to endear herself to some of the local enlistedmen and Clones by not being a pretentious _di'kut_, unlike half the officers they'd had to deal with, she'd gotten her paperwork done _and_ her request for bombers for the _Kestrel_ had been approved.

The meeting with Captain Rex had been particularly enlightening, as she got to talk to him about Geonosis and his opinions on the Jedi leadership in that battle.

The Clone was unusually forthcoming about their faults, including the misuse of Commandos as heavy infantry by a handful of Jedi until Mace Windu released them to the full control of their advisors given his own inexperience on the matter.

The lack of diversity in military equipment deployed during the engagement, apparently ground units consisted entirely of infantry, AT-TEs, TX-130 fighter tanks, 74-Z speederbikes, RTT-04 transports and SPHA-T artillery with only LAATs and a couple hundred V-19s for air support, was chalked up by him to the suddenness of the deployment, which prevented the Kaminoans from allocating enough of everything for the invasion.

How they won, neither of them could figure out, since the CIS had a broader range of units being fielded at the time.

Kelia stared out over the massive lines of _Acclamators_ and _Venators_ staging for deployment to far-flung battlefields across the Galaxy, _hundreds_ of capital ships at this base alone, to say nothing of those at staging grounds and fleet basins elsewhere on Coruscant.

Not to mention all the other warships and transport types onworld.

An immense XX-8 turbolaser tower swiveled on its mountings below her as she watched some of the massive capital ships ascend into the sky above, the gun turret merely testing its traverse and elevation mechanisms.

The Bothan yawned deeply. "Should be heading home a bit soon…" She mumbled softly.

Part of her wanted to keep staring at the ships as they took off and landed in endless cycles, just like she had when she was a little girl sitting on a hill overlooking the spaceport near her home city, watching freighters, yachts, snubfighters, corvettes, shuttles, and gunships take off and land with similarly routine timing.

The stars had always called out to her, even from such a young age, their twinkling lights like a beacon to the then young Bothan.

What happened on Kothlis hardened that desire, turned it from one of hope to that of an individual who wanted to ensure such things would _never_ happen again on their watch.

Far out towards the section of the base bordering the Temple District, Kelia could see the distinctive grey command towers of her ship, the _Kestrel_, as it sat in its berth, the distant lights of arc welders flickering like lightbugs as her ship's scars were cleaned away by repair crews.

She liked the more subtle grey used for warship hulls, it was _almost_ white and a bit more appealing than the more oppressive colors used for the base and its interiors.

The Bothan smiled softly as she leaned her head on the railing, maybe someday her vessel would have something to help it stand out more from all others…

Maybe someday…

* * *

**Kelia Los'ean's apartment, Naval Base Aurek, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Kelia sighed as she strode into the living quarters and slumped down on the couch after shutting the door behind her, taking her officer's jacket off in the process.

She was thanking providence for the base's railjet network, trying to _walk_ across the entire complex would've been suicidal at best.

"Kriff, didn't realize how exhausted I was…" She muttered softly.

A canister of sushi was suddenly placed in her lap.

It was blue-grey at least… Unlike just about everything else in the apartment from the couch to the bedsheets.

Well, outside the nursery and kitchen at least.

"Please tell me it's Rhyde'vak Salmon." She asked Korsk as he sat down next to her.

"With rice and wrapped in seaweed, just as you like it… Makes you wonder how many sectors are devoted just to providing food on this damn planet." He said as he opened his own canister of food.

"A _lo_t, energy production and manufacturing can be done cheaply elsewhere but food and water imports can't be delayed for any significant amount of time. Not like those moron doomsayers thinking" She said as she pulled out a pair of chopsticks and took the lid off the canister. "So, is Litat asleep?"

"She tired herself out clapping while watching all the ships going off to support Pong Krell and Depa Billaba on Haruun Kal." Korsk informed her as Kelia popped a roll into her mouth.

She nodded. "You get the memo I sent you by the way?"

"Yeah, I got it. Why do you think I always keep something fashionable yet practical around, because there's always an opportunity to get some blackmail on senators at Galas and the like." He said as he wrapped an arm around her, Kelia making a soft purr as she slid closer. "You think there's anything to get us in the mood?"

"Coruscanti porn is hot trash. Caught some of the pilots in the gunship complement smuggling it aboard and we ended up throwing it in the trash compactor after deciding to check it over." She said flatly.

"That bad?"

"That bad."

Korsk snorted. "So the old fashioned way then?"

"You can't have everything handed to you; you know." She told him as she took another bite, trying to avoid salivating at the flavor. "Which means no funny business until later tomorrow, we get to have a romantic evening while putting on the same faces we did for the rest of the nobility back home."

"I swear to Chaos if that self-important moron Borsk is there…"

"You're not doing anything Korsk. Fey'lya is an insufferable prick but he's still the scion of his family." Kelia informed her husband with half-lidded eyes. "Besides, the Fey'lyas are going to be stuck dealing with uncomfortable questions about Krant just like Se'lab is…"

The discovery of substantial CIS forces on the Bothan colony world had weakened the positions of the leading clans at home and abroad, with Clan Aean advocating for a stronger and more militarized approach to defending Bothawui and her colonies.

A stance that was becoming ever more accepted among the Bothan people as they fully understood their own vulnerability for the first time in centuries.

If one of their worlds could be so easily taken without a shot being fired, could the rest of Bothan space even hope to stand without Republic help?

"Fair enough." Korsk said after a few moments.

Kelia shrugged and took another bite, her issues with the Separatists simply revolved around blasting the kark out of whatever problem as in her path or just avoiding it if it was too difficult to be tackled, leave the semantics and arguments to the politicians.

Though she was more than happy to debate the morality of the Republic using a slave army in violation of its own laws with arrogant _chakaar_ who viewed the Clones as nothing more than expendable fodder.

Finishing up with her food, Kelia placed the canister on a side table and giggled softly as Korsk did the same, her husband slipping a hand beneath her undershirt to fiddle with her bustier. "Oh, eager aren't we?" She purred as she slid onto his lap. "_Very_ eager if something is to be told by."

"Oh, you know it love." He growled softly as he gently nipped at her neck.

His free hand reached up for her chest as Kelia reached for the remote lightswitch.

* * *

**13:6:12 GrS.**

**Kelia Los'ean's apartment, Naval Base Aurek, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Kelia's eyes fluttered open as the apartment shook while a warship of some kind rumbled over it, the Bothan staring up at the flat grey ceiling, illumination panels embedded in it in a trio of strips.

"Mmrrgh…" She groaned as she reached for a nonexistent alarm clock, accidentally slapping Korsk on the muzzle with her pants after grabbing them from the back of the couch. "Korsk, wake up…" She grumbled.

Her husband lazily opened an eye. "Hmmm?"

"_Di'kut_…" Kelia muttered as she jabbed him in the snout. "Get up."

Korsk yelped in surprise. "Fierfek Kelia, you didn't have to do _that_!"

She hopped off the couch and headed to their room after collecting her laundry and shoving it in a basket. "Well, it was either that or wait sixty minutes for you to wake up." She muttered, rubbing her eyes as she tried to blink the haze of drowsiness away.

"Fair…" He muttered as he stood up and followed after her.

Kelia walked into the refresger, giving Korsk a warning gesture not to follow her.

The male Bothan crossed his arms and pouted. "Fine, the sonics irritate me anyways, not nearly as fun as the water showers."

Kelia rolled her eyes. "Is everything about sex with you?"

"Considering you were stand in front of me completely naked, at the moment it kind of is." He replied smarmily as he crossed his arms over his furred chest with a smirk on his face.

Kelia didn't offer a response, too flustered about walking right into that one as she hurriedly shut the door..

* * *

Once out of the shower and dressed in some off-duty clothing, Kelia slowly peeked into Litat's nursery, smiling at the crib her daughter was in, which was thankfully a more appealing drab green. "It was rather easy to get the furniture when you spent most of your time aboard that cruiser of yours. Or are you using that KDY marketing term like everyone else now?"

Kelia's fur rippled in alarm as she turned to see Cath Los'ean standing behind here, even after all these years her mother was still just as silent as she'd always been.

From the living room, they could hear the chatter of the news being watched by Korsk after he'd stepped out of their bedroom, one of his habits being to check the news and then crosscheck it with his Spynet buddies to determine what kark the Media was pulling out of their shebs and what was accurate information.

Currently it was coverage of riots initiated by pro-CIS elements being broken up by the Coruscant Guard and CSF from what she could hear.

Some part of her was squeamish about sending fully geared Clones trained to combat the CIS droid army to assault civilian rioters, but war wasn't a time for the squeamish.

"Mother… Haven't I asked you to stop sneaking up on me like that…?" Kelia asked with lidded eyes.

Cath shrugged and gently prodded her daughter. "Maybe, maybe not. Either way, go spend time with your child _Kel'ika_." She instructed with a grin.

Kelia shook her head with a soft smile on her face and stepped into the room, leaning over the side of the crib and gently picking up Litat, the 1-year old crooning softly as she was cradled against her mother's sizable bust. "Hey there _ad'ika_. _Buir's_ here now." She said as she sat down in a cream-colored chair next to the dresser, Litat cooing happily as she nuzzled her mother.

Kelia smiled softly as she picked up a holobook, specifically a variant of the classic children's tale, _The Little Lost Bantha Cub_, and propped Litat up on her lap, slowly reading it to her, letting her daughter smile and burble at the story.

She was still a bit too young to fully grasp the emotional nature of it just yet, but Kelia didn't care all that much.

She was just enjoying the time spent with her daughter.

* * *

**13:6:12 GrS.**

**Arca Barracks, Galactic City, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Ordo frowned as he looked over Kelia Los'ean's CSV and biography, along with those of her mother, Cath Los'ean, the faint glow of the terminal illuminating the otherwise dark office he was in, not that he cared much about the surroundings.

Both were equally unassuming individuals, though they boasted a more martial stance than typical Bothans, as did most members of Clan Aean it appeared according to the information the Bothan embassy sent over at a favor owed to Kal regarding a job he did ousting pirates in the Krant system when he was younger, all of which seemed to further confirm what Kelia had said to _Kal'buir_ about them being descended from exiles who were forced out of Mandalorian Space after the _Dral'Han_.

This of course had led the ever-inquisitive Null ARC on one of his usual information gathering tangents, not as intense as Kom'rk's or Jaing's, but still far more so than most individuals.

So far next to nothing had come up in his idle research on the subject of the Excision, not that he expected all that much.

The Republic hadn't cared, the Jedi were too stymied by their own internal discord at the time to try and record much, and the puppet government of the sector was too overwhelmed trying to rebuild some semblance of order to try and keep logs.

Master Zey had been a good help with that, as the records of the Excision were accessible to most in Order to serve as a warning of the temptations of revenge.

What_ had_ been recorded by the Jedi thus was far more interesting than what _Kal'buir_ had told him. And was totally at odds with the 'official' account of the Excision from either the Republic or _Mando'ade_.

Notably the fact that the Jedi nearly broke with the Republic as a result of the atrocities, and the Judicials and PSFs further restrained in their ROEs and with numerous officers tried and executed for war crimes in order to placate them, Corellia and Alsakan.

Ordo found himself pitying the Jedi in that case, an unusual thing given how much he outright disliked them based on _Kal'buir's_ own experiences, which he found himself now admitting were likely colored by Mandalorian history as much as they were by Kal's own prejudices against them.

Anyways, the Jedi had likely gone in under the assumption that it was to be a quick disarming and occupation operation rather than a revenge campaign.

It wasn't like the _Mando'ade_ were openly threatening to invade other sectors either, there was some chest thumping and fleet posturing but Mandalorians did that _all the time_.

Concerns the Jedi had noted but which were clearly ignored.

So when Republic _horribly_ overreacted and began to sterilize sections entire worlds, the Jedi were unable to do much besides try and keep the death toll down as much as possible.

That the Cathar PSF had been in overall command rather than the Jedi, who'd been mere advisors by their own accounts, was something Ordo found to have been an interesting omission from the Republic records. Especially given the history between the Cathar and the _Mando'ade_.

It was very likely _Kal'buir_ didn't even know the Cathar were the overall masterminds, which Ordo couldn't fault him for

So why villainize the Jedi as being behind it? Who would have the reason to do so…? Couldn't be the Sith, they were extinct.

He_ thought_ they were at least, the Zabrak that had died during the battle of Naboo had wielded a lightsaber with a red blade, which only Sith could supposedly produce according to both _Kal'buir_ and General Zey.

That Dooku was reported as using a red saber, as had the assassin that Skywalker defeated on Yavin IV, didn't help matters.

All of this greatly concerned Ordo, given the Sith had historically used the _Mando'ade_ as cannon fodder to kill more Jedi for them. Most _Mando'ade_ didn't see it the same way.

Most of the time a job was a job, a dead _Jetii_ was a dead _Jetii_, and the same with _Dar'Jetii_.

Filing the subject away for a later time, he turned his attention back to his original goal, digging up information about Kelia Los'ean.

_Kal'buir_ would likely be annoyed by him wasting time with some officer of little interest, even if she was descended from _Mando'ade_, but it was to placate concerns of his own regarding her treatment of the Clones under her command due to his paranoia.

Mereel would've told him he worried too much, but still…

Wait... This was _interesting_.

There were several unofficial notes from Kamino directed at leading Republic Officers expressing concerns about her 'humanization' of Republic military assets, those awihabait bastards no doubt referring to the Clones and…

It was rare that Ordo himself caught flatfooted multiple times within a week.

But it had happened, again as a result of this Bothan.

"She's ensuring the Clones under her command get _pay_…?" He whispered softly.

It was a simple recordkeeping issue as well, she bothered to actually file them as _personnel_ rather than _assets_.

Most were too indifferent or lazy to bother and the Jedi didn't do paperwork, regardless of how much many of them cared for their troops according to secondhand info he kept getting from various Clones filtering through Arca, which caused him to question _Kal'buir's_ complete objectiveness regarding the Jedi but that was neither here nor there.

The important thing was that over nine thousand _vode_ with pay stubs...

He needed to tell _Kal'buir_ about this, it was just too… _Insane_ not to.

"Los'ean… You're a wildcard aren't you…" He whispered softly to himself as he narrowed his eyes at her file holo. "The real question is how many enemies will you make doing this…"

Maybe a little personal investigation was in order... All of his _vode_ were busy, so maybe he could do a little looking into things for himself for once rather than perpetually sitting by _Kal'buir's_ feet like a karking strill or something.

Yeah... That sounded like a good start.

* * *

**AN: And scene.**

**Yep, the official logs of the Excision were altered… The reasoning in TEGTW that the **_**Jedi**_** of all people would condone or even **_**order **_**the mass bombardment of Mandalorian worlds is insane, it's un-jedilike in the extreme.**

**The Cathar on the other hand would have a bone to pick with the **_**Mando'ade**_** over their near extermination at the hands of Cassus Fett and his troops (Cassus might've appreciated the irony were he still alive at the time). And it would be easy for them to convince the Republic that another Mandalorian War might be in the wings and a decapitating strike would be necessary.**

**So why the discrepancy?**

**It's simple, the Sith and their agents manipulated Republic records as part of their Grand Plan and the Mandalorians are just bitter and resentful about the entire thing so it's easier for them to blame the Jedi as being responsible.**

**Dumbing down history for textbooks happens all too often in real life.**

**Anyway, the BTL-A2 is a slimmer single-seat version of the BTL-B Y-Wing that beat its two-seat counterpart into service by a few months due to issues with the B model's manned turret, and would later evolve into the BTL-A4 shortly before the Clone Wars ended (The A4 and the concurrent S3 types being greatly slimmed down compared to their predecessors and were far more angular a-la the V-Wing, but ended up not being accepted into Imperial Naval service and were shunted to PSFs and Mercenary groups where they enjoyed an average career before being made famous by the Rebellion), with the A3 being mulled as a radically improved variant but cancelled as incremental improvements to the A2 would allow it to remain on par with the BTL-B and later the BTL-S2 throughout the war, thus causing all the upgraded A2s to be redesignated BTL-A3.**

**The A1 and S1 on the other hand are derived directly from Ralph McQuarrie's concept art and are mostly used by backwaters due to their current obsolescence in-universe.**

**Also yes, Korsk is from _that_ Sei'lar family, which received very little elaboration in the X-Wing Novels so I can do what I want within reason.**

**And a little thing with Ordo too that'll set up a subplot for him down the line.**


	8. Downtime: Gala

**AN: Chapter 8, online.**

**Reviews:**

**Thraus: Well, I'm glad you feel that way, it took a bit of time to sort everything out properly but it makes me feel better that the writing wasn't on the weaker end.**

**As for the Cathar PSF being in overall charge of the excision, that's actually intentional, the Cathar as a species have a longstanding hatred of the Mandalorians thanks to Cassus Fett and placing them in charge of the overall military operation would've been intended by Coruscant to send a message to the _Mando'ade_ that this was a fight they really should not engage in, a branch of diplomacy that the Mandalorians would understand quite well, surrender and join us or _die_. The major clan leaders being both prideful and clearly lacking a _Manda'lor_ to reign them in, decided to fight.**

**Several leading Cathar officers then convinced the other PSFs and the Judicials to go even further than their mandate and make the Mandalorians suffer as all the cultures they've assaulted over the millennia suffered in order to prevent them from becoming a major threat to the Republic ever again, even if many of them were at the hands of the now near-extinct Taung.**

**And thus the excision occurred, much to the horror of the Jedi and the much of the rest of the Galaxy, whom viewed is as barbarism fit for the pre-Ruusan era.**

**Maybe should've elaborated on that a bit, but eh.**

* * *

"…_**Thus the Presidential Palace on Coruscant was one of the few vestiges of the Pre-Ruusan Republic to remain a constant throughout the ages. By the end of the Clone Wars however, even it too was affected by the changing times, with much of the exterior demolished, allowing it to be rebuilt even **_**larger**_** as the new **_**Imperial**_** Palace, which would come to be the nerve center of the New Order **_**and**_** the New Republic and Galactic Alliance that followed. Although at this point, few viewed it as the same building anymore, so radical were the changes to its structure. A twisted mirror of the Republic it once served."**_**-**** Excerpt from **_**Architecture of the Old Republic: Fiftieth Edition**_**, published 73 ABY.**

* * *

**13:6:13 GrS.**

**Kelia Los'ean's apartment, Naval Base Aurek, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Kelia straightened out her dress uniform and checked to ensure her fur and hair were brushed properly.

"Kelia!" Korsk called out. "If you're actually late for this your mother is going to kill you!"

The Bothan rolled her eyes. "She's hovering over my shoulder as is Korsk! I don't need the reminder!"

Packing away her datapad and forgoing the blaster due to the security at the event, Kelia strode out of the bathroom, tamping down the dress uniform's skirt.

Korsk frowned as he looked at her. "Don't know how to feel about the skirt…" He muttered.

"It's the heels that're kriffing pissing me off, I'll take boots any day over this karking _osik_." She muttered as she put on the dress uniform cap, which was a more ornate design than her standard type.

"Well, you look good regardless love." Korsk said, giving Kelia a peck on the cheek.

The female Bothan smirked softly as she swept her hands over the dark grey, red, and gold uniform, which was derived from Mandalorian War era Republic officer's service uniforms. "Well at least it fits, karking regs not clarifying that the greys aren't meant for senatorial affairs. Lucky the base exchange had these in stock." She muttered, the tips of her pointed ears sweeping up and behind her uniform cap.

Her husband shrugged as they headed for the door. "_Cat'buir! _Keep an ear out for Litat will you!" Kelia called out.

"You act like I don't do that anyways _Kel'ika_!" Cath shouted back from the kitchen, where she was preparing herself some dinner.

Korsk gently prodded her. "_Shayl_, we need to get going."

"Fine, fine." Kelia chuckled as allowed him to lead her out the door.

* * *

**13:6:13 GrS.**

**House Dooku Estate, Serenno, Serenno System, D'astan sector.**

Count Dros Dooku, also known to a select few as Darth Tyrannus, knelt before the holoprojector in his chambers. "What is thy bidding… My Master." The aging former Jedi asked after the projection flared to life.

["Lord Tyrannus, how goes the search?"]

"We're closing in on the last remaining components of the Dark Reaper, My Master… I shall soon head out to Raxus Prime to oversee the recovery of the Force Harvester component, the final essential piece of Exar Kun's greatest weapon."

That the most critical component sat in the same system as the Separatist Capitol was a boon to Dooku as it prevented the Republic from conquering the system and excavating more secrets hidden beneath the planet's junk and trash covered surface.

["See to it that you do… And what of the tomb of Ulic Qel-Droma?"] Sidious rasped, wary of the Jedi discovering that knowledge before they were meant to.

Before _Skywalker_ was meant to.

"General Tann is staging for the assault on Rhen Var while Grievous is preparing to launch diversionary attacks on the Republic's periphery in the outer rim in concert with Admiral Trench and our other key commanders, as per your instructions." Dooku replied calmly.

["Good… _Gooooood_…"] Sidious crooned softly. ["And the status of your latest _acquisition_?"] The Sith Master inquired, asking about Ventress.

"I have confirmed that Ventress survived her duel with Skywalker and will recover soon, at which point I plan to send her to assassinate the Republic Officer who broke the blockade at Muunilinst." Dooku stated calmly.

["An _unwise_ decision my apprentice, for now you shall wait while I see whether she can be used as part of our plans."] Sidious informed him sharply, his tone sending a chill down Dooku's spine. ["_Only_ if _I _deem her too destabilizing shall she be eliminated by your assassin."]

"If that is your desire, then I shall send Ventress to lure Echuu Shen-Jon away from Sev'rance's forces instead."

["I must admit that General Tann's survival was not something I had foreseen, but it is not an unwelcome development… Make good use of her while you still can Lord Tyrannus. Shen-Jon's obsession may very well be the end of her soon enough."]

"Yes, my master." Dooku acknowledged.

Sidious's holo fizzled out without another word, leaving Dooku alone with the IG-100 Magnaguards standing in key defense positions around the room.

The aging but still admittedly handsome human frowned as he tapped his bearded chin, his master's fixation with Skywalker concerned him, but ultimately it wasn't an issue

When the Sith ruled the Galaxy and the remnants of the Jedi were scattered to the winds, the Rule of Two would become obsolete, no longer needed to hide their numbers.

A junta of Sith Lords and a host of acolytes led by _one_ All-Powerful Master would hold the Galaxy in their thrall.

In the thrall of the _Empire_.

And then there would be peace and security forevermore.

* * *

**13:6:13 GrS.**

**Presidential Palace, Senate District, Galactic City, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Kelia and Korsk stepped off the LAAT gunship from the _Kestrel's _complement that had served as an impromptu VIP transport, which hummed off shortly thereafter, Sabre giving them a short salute from the troop bay as it did so.

Kelia gulped nervously as her legs seemed to lock up while a group of senators, lobbyists, and other officials passed by, most of them paying the almost out of place naval officer little mind as they ascended the steps to the cathedral-like structure.

"You okay?" Korsk asked, gently prodding her.

Kelia looked over at her husband. "Yeah, just… Never was comfortable standing out of a crowd…" She admitted timidly.

"Well, I'll be here for you love." Korsk said softly as they headed up the steps.

* * *

Anakin sighed as he tried to tune out the latest group of Senators trying to talk to Padme in the crowded ballroom of the Presidential Palace while standing near a table laden with snacks, a band playing formal dance music.

Poor Threepio meanwhile was being mobbed by service droids trying to 'clean' his pewter plating up.

And Obi-Wan had naturally declined the Chancellor's invitation, allowing Anakin to go regardless.

His master never had been brave enough for politics.

Sensing a vaguely familiar presence, he turned to see a pair of Bothans, one, a male, in well-dressed suit and a taller female in a military dress uniform, specifically one of the gaudier ones based on Old Republic service uniforms from the Mandalorian Wars.

The identification badge on the female's chest read Los'ean in Aurebesh.

Anakin smirked wryly as he strode over.

Padme could handle that nest of vipers better than he could, politics was her arena as much as combat was his.

Might as well get to know the one non-clone officer he'd talked to so far who wasn't operating on the theoretical or had their head stuffed where the stars didn't shine.

"Captain Los'ean, that was some maneuver you came up with during the Battle of Muunilinst." Anakin praised earnestly as they spotted him in turn, Kelia's blond facial fur tinging orangish in embarrassment shortly after she recognized his voice.

He winced internally, knowing that his imposition was rather sudden.

"Really, it wasn't all that impressive Commander… I just realized that the _Acclamators_ were excellent torpedo platforms." She replied humbly.

Anakin nodded, deciding not to press the matter. "Ah, my apologies, I don't believe any of us were formally introduced. Padawan Anakin Skywalker at your service."

"Korsk Los'ean." Korsk said, not wanting to out himself as a spynet operative and immediately earn the ire of the dozens of senators who _didn't_ know.

"Line Captain Kelia Los'ean. Repulic Navy." Kelia introduced herself, using her proper rank for once while adjusting her cap. "I take it you're here because of the Chancellor as well?"

"Yes, the Chancellor is a good friend of mine, he's been so since just before I joined the order."

Kelia blinked in confusion. "Forgive me for assuming, but I thought most Jedi were inducted as infants?" She asked.

"I was a… Rare exception." Anakin stated, knowing that talking about ancient prophecies would earn him funny looks.

That and he got enough flak from the council for acting out when part of him just wanted them to recognize his exceptional abilities for what they were.

The other part just wanted others treat him like any other person, without letting the moniker of 'chosen one' hover over him like a cloud that was both a buoy and a ball and chain, without the expectations that came with it.

The Chancellor understood this, he was a kind man.

"I see…" Kelia mused as she tapped her chin.

Korsk gently nudged her. "I'll be off talking shop with some people, can you handle yourself?" He asked his wife.

Kelia nodded and shooed him away, her husband walking off shortly thereafter.

"I take it you're not fond of politics?"

"Less the politics and more the vipers' nest of dealing with the elite… I had enough of _that_ back on Bothawui." Kelia informed Anakin. "Not to mention all the holocams flitting about…"

"It's a far cry from Tatooine, or even the Jedi Temple, that's for sure…" He muttered, watching as cliques of Senators and their aides gathered at areas around the ballroom.

Including the corpulent Twi'lek Orn Free Taa, whom was gorging himself at a buffet table while a group of females of his species clustered nearby in elegant yet skimpy clothing. "You think he's realized they're only there for his political status?" She inquired.

"Maybe some of them are, but others might generally believe in him." Anakin suggested. "Orn Free Taa has a legendary appetite, as do most Twi'leks who leave Ryloth given the scarcity of food there, but he's more intelligent than he looks. Principled as well, despite his decadence and propensity towards corruption he's one of the few senators from the Outer Rim who's actually taken an open _stand_ against slavery."

Anakin had made a habit to study the Senators of worlds whose populations were frequently taken for slavery, to see whether they were complicit in such crimes.

Purely for hypotheticals of course.

Kelia colored herself surprised; that was something she didn't know. "Huh… You wouldn't expect that based on just his reputation…"

"Senator Amidala is another example of someone being more than they seem." Anakin said warmly. "She's a pacifist but she isn't afraid to fight when there's no other option."

Kelia raised an eyebrow, the way Anakin spoke about the senator reminded her of the things she'd overheard Korsk saying about herself to others.

She filed that tidbit for later, assuming that the young Jedi was merely infatuated. "I personally think that even with such a will, Senator Amidala was a bit… _Naïve_ when it came to the military creation act…" She said hesitantly.

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"Well, the Separatists were gaining strength with every passing day, and many of their systems had legitimate grievances with the way the Republic handled things… Order had broken down beyond the mid-rim, Coruscant is a den of corruption and sycophancy… Without a military the Republic couldn't hope to bring the rule of law back to much of the Galaxy." Kelia admitted candidly.

Anakin nodded, he himself thought that Padme sometimes viewed the laws of the Republic as too sacrosanct, that people would follow them on principle. She'd grown out of that view somewhat after the Invasion of Naboo, when it was revealed that the Trade Federation had blatantly violated the Ruusan Reformation's arms limitations clauses and used their influence to pin everything on Nute Gunray and Rune Haako in the aftermath to avoid long-term political damage.

Nonetheless, the economic damage had been done, much to Anakin's amusement, as dozens of Outer Rim worlds began rearming and negotiating defense pacts, particularly with the Eriadu, which boasted immense security and quality of life for a Rim world.

So, if the Republic would not save them, then they would save _themselves_.

And as much as he loved his angel, Anakin knew that force of arms was often the only way to solve many of the Galaxy's problems, especially with how _few_ Jedi there were compared to olden days, and how often lightsabers had to be drawn on his missions with Obi-Wan. "I agree, she's a well-meaning person but sometimes only a blaster or a lightsaber can solve certain issues."

He remembered his promise, the promise he'd made ten years ago, when he left Tatooine.

Maybe, when this war was over… He could return there and free the slaves. Like he'd dreamt that one time.

Kelia noticed the soft smile on Anakin's face as she took a drink from a passing server droid, an R2 series unit fitted with a tray to be precise. "So, what're you thinking about?"

"Nothing." Anakin said, not dismissively, but in a way that said he'd already move on from that thought.

"So, uh, I got the after-action report… But I want to hear it from you. What happened in the space battle?"

The Jedi scowled, remembering that quite vividly. "A lone Geonosian fighter jumped out of hyperspace and wiped out two squadrons before anyone could react… I engaged them in a dogfight that took us down to the planet's surface."

"That explains the comms chatter from General Kenobi I overheard on the general frequency." Kelia uttered dryly.

"I ended up chasing the bandit back into space… At which point… They jumped to a random system…"

He trailed off.

"You disobeyed Kenobi and followed him, didn't you."

"Her actually, as I discovered…" Anakin clarified.

Kelia noticed he didn't deny he'd disobeyed orders, if anything he'd simply confirmed that fact. "And then what…?"

"Master Kenobi sent a Platoon to make sure I came back…" Anakin's face fell as he trailed off again.

Concerned, Kelia spoke up again. "What happened."

"The pilot… They were strong with the force, with the Dark Side… First they killed the platoon, cutting them apart one by one or in small groups before any of us could react… Then they blew up the transport and my Delta-7, killing the crew of the CR20 in the process…"

Guilt washed over Anakin yet again, not just because he'd gotten those men killed by disobeying orders but also because he wasn't_ strong _or _skilled_ enough to realize what was going on and stop the Assassin before she slaughtered them.

"I'm sorry…" Kelia whispered softly.

Anakin shook his head. "It was my fault. I defeated the Assassin in a saber duel but… The victory seems so hollow when I think about it… As if their entire purpose was to lure me there… Master Kenobi said that battle shouldn't have been fought…"

"And do you agree with him?" She inquired.

Anakin nodded softly as Palpatine managed to detach himself from a group of Senators and stride over to the two. "Ah! Anakin my boy. I see you've met Captain Los'ean." The Chancellor said as he walked up to them with an earnest smile on his face.

"Indeed, we've been talking about recent events." Anakin said, his mood brightening a bit. "Trying to stay occupied given neither of us have much interest in talking with most of the politicians here."

Palpatine nodded and glanced around the party. "Ah! I know just the idea, I've been meaning to show you something for a while Anakin, you may come along as well if you wish Captain." He offered.

Kelia exchanged a glance with Anakin and shrugged. "I'm not one to mix with politicians to begin with." She admitted. "So I guess I'll come."

Palpatine nodded and turned away, the smile on his face turning sinister for a brief flash of a moment.

This was working out better than he could've hoped.

* * *

Kelia looked around as Palpatine led them through a series of halls, escorted by four of his red guards whom held force pikes at ready, old pieces of art and statues lining the corridors. "You see, the Presidential Palace dates all the way back to _before_ the founding of the Republic and has been continuously moved upwards and expanded as the city grew further and further up from the planet's surface. Many millennia ago this building stood in the shadow of the Manarai Mountains… Oh how times have changed since then." Palpatine explained nostalgically.

Kelia stopped to look at an old photo, not even a holo but an actual _photograph_ of the Presidential Palace during its construction, two mountain peaks towering over the partially-built structure.

Coruscant was utterly _unrecognizable_ to her in that image, for all she knew the image had been taken before the immense construction craze remade the planet into an immense city. "It's almost unfathomable to think that Coruscant once looked like that…"

"Indeed, my dear. But _every_ city world has a true surface hidden beneath the artificial." Palpatine said wryly as they continued onwards. "Ah, this chamber would be a good start." He said, gently pressing a switch on the door and leading them inside, the red guard following dutifully.

The room was a vast chamber laden with armor stands, Jedi combat robes, sleek Sith Trooper gear, olive drab Pius Dea era flak plating used by the Republican Guard, gleaming white plastoid Republic Special Forces armor from the Galactic Cold War and both Great Galactic Wars, red, yellow, and black Republic Army uniforms from the Mandalorian Wars, the varied designs of Mandalorian _Beskar'gam_, and many more suits and uniforms occupying these mannequins with accompanying weaponry.

"_Kandosii'la_…" Kelia whispered in a hushed voice.

It was like looking into a live history book on military wargear.

Anakin strode up to a set of armored Jedi robes dating back to the Great Galactic War. "Chancellor, did you acquire all of this?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Only some of it my boy, Chancellors from throughout history have donated elements to the Palace's collection." Palpatine clarified as they continued onwards, Kelia taking a noted interest in the Mandalorian wargear, curved Neo Crusader and New Sith Wars era plate contrasting with the sharper edges of Galactic War and post Ruusan _Beskar'gam_.

Anakin stopped before a set of Dark Honor Guard robes and armor, glancing at it curiously between it and the Red Guards before looking next to the black and grey Sith Trooper armor next to it which looked notably more menacing than the red suit to its left, and then to the seventh and eighth pattern of Sith Trooper armor, the ones used by the forces of Lord Odion and his rival, Lord Damian, during the New Sith Wars.

"There's a lot of armor bearing inspiration from Mandalorian patterns." Anakin observed, noting in particular the similarities that the New Sith Wars era Sith Trooper armor and Galactic Wars era Republic Special Forces gear had to Clone Armor and most patterns of Mandalorian Armor.

"Indeed, the Mandalorians produced some of the _finest_ armor patterns in the known Galaxy, it is little coincidence that it they are so widely copied by various powers." The Chancellor said with a smile on his face as the four headed to the next room, passing by a suit of Sun Guard armor in the process.

Inside was a treasure trove of old droids, an ancient corps commander War-Robot from Xim's empire with its distinctive gold death's head chest insignia on the torso, a silver-grey HK-50 unit, an old orange and white B-3G combat analysis droid of the same kind that helped win the first battle of Bothuwai during the Great Galactic War, along with several other more combat oriented Republic models from the same era including a prototype tripedal heavy assault unit with M1-4X written on its chassis in aurebesh, a menacing looking set of Sith Empire war droids, a sleek disc-headed Juggernaut War Droid with an old rocket pack fitted to its backpack outriggers, a gangly yet deadly looking Krath War droid, a silvery and very humanoid Sentinel War Droid, an old Trade-Federation HKB-3 Hunter Killer from the Stark Hyperspace War era, and even a set of OOM series and B1 variants and an E4 Baron Droid from the Naboo crisis, the mixed lot including a towering 3.6 meter tall tan and green B1-P Plasma Battle Droid, its forearm plasma arc projectors silent like the grave.

"This is neat and all Chancellor… But what's the point of showing us all this…?" Kelia inquired as she strode up to an OOM command droid and peered around it, spotting the designator OOM-9 written on the back of the machine.

"It's quite simple… As you can easily tell from the collection, war is a Galactic _constant_… Only vigilance and strength have sadly shown themselves to be able to deter it. As my homeworld discovered to her misfortune a decade ago." Palpatine uttered remorsefully as he walked up to the inactive form of OOM-9. "And ultimately… Because the Republic is not strong enough… Countless beings are dying or _will _die."

"You're suggesting we make the Republic stronger?" Kelia inquired, glancing over at Anakin, whom was still looking around some of the old droids from the pre-Ruusan Era.

"Indeed. Even setting aside the Separatists, pirate raids on shipping lanes and even ostensibly 'safe' planets have grown ever bolder, only those worlds with massive fleets at their command such as Kuat, Alsakan, and Corellia are truly immune to the depredations of those scoundrels. Though I never wished for war, I do believe that re-establishing a centralized Navy is exactly what the Republic needs to restore peace and order to the Galaxy." The Chancellor spoke candidly to the Bothan. "But such methods will only work if the political will to _use_ the Navy and Army to keep the peace exists. And sadly, all too many Senators view the outer rim as a playground for their political allies and benefactors, stripping what little authority the Republic has there to the bone."

Kelia looked down, she herself had had similar thoughts ever since Kothlis. "I agree Chancellor… The Republic has too often let the interests of privileged Senators and planetary rulers override the rule of law. The only way to return it is with_ strength_." She said after a few moments, balling her hands into clenched fists.

How many people were murdered, raped, or sold into slavery by pirates because some senator got a kickback from the Hutts? How many people languished in chains because a world was 'outside official Republic jurisdiction' on paper despite being within the Galactic Government's borders?

How many people died to corporate cruelty because the lobbyists and _Senators_ of the trade guilds introduced laws that let them run wild.

And then there was the Clones… Whom weren't even considered _human _by most of the very beings that produced them, let alone the vast bureaucracy of the Republic.

It sickened her. It sickened her so damn much and she hated how she couldn't do anything about it.

It would just be so much better for everyone if those who did such evils simply…

Vanished.

_Permanently_.

But was that right…? She didn't know just yet. It certainly wasn't democratic.

And there _was _a dark appeal in the authoritarian. One she stifled quickly enough.

It wasn't her call to make.

Unbeknownst to Kelia, Palpatine sneered briefly, his face quickly setting back in its calm demeanor as Sidious sensed Anakin approaching.

"Ah, onto a lighter subject, I do have some art pieces in the collection, please, this way." Palpatine said, ushering them out into the hallway, the Red Guard silently gliding after them over the floor, their footsteps barely a whisper.

* * *

**13:6:13 GrS.**

**Parade Ground Forty-Six, Naval Base Aurek, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Sabre frowned as he watched a group of Kaminoan technicians make their rounds, the karking bastards were probably trying to identify which groups of clones might've had 'defects' that made it through their screening processes.

He'd barely stepped off the LAAT from dropping the Captain and her husband off when he'd been called up too…

Part of him was tempted to call up one of the Nulls, the pampered psychos shared one thing in common with many of their regular Clone brethren.

And that was their _universal_ hatred of most Kaminoans, only a select few like Taun We gave even **half** a damn about the wellbeing of the Clones.

"CT-42/122… Your pod shows no signs of aberrations..." A Kaminoan, a male given the head crest, intoned softly.

The Clone Sergeant glowered behind his helmet before a wry grin came over as he remembered Kelia's constant complaints about the bureaucracy stymying every little thing with red tape. "With all due respect, _sir_, what'll happen to those men who _are_ 'defective'?" Sabre ground out after a few moments. "Unless you wish to inform the GAR that combat ready troops are being slated for… 'Reconditioning' you best be able to provide the details the Republic's bureaucrats… And if they don't like your reasoning, well then they may decide that it's in the best interest of the Republic to have more… 'Professional' inspectors come out."

The subtle warning wasn't lost on the male Kaminoan leading the small group, whom pursed his lips as much as his physiology would let him.

"_Not so fun when _you're_ on the potential receiving end of a brain scrambler is it aiwhabait?" _Sabre thought ruefully.

"I shall count your recommendation carefully…" The Kaminoan managed after a moment, before tapping something on his datapad after careful consideration and pulling his second back to converse with them, pointing at the datapad after pulling something up on it, the female Kaminoan nodding in agreement.

Sabre hoped he hadn't inadvertently condemned himself and his squad.

The Captain would _kill_ him if he got them all euthanized.

Turning up the inputs of his helmets to pick up the conversation, Sabre managed to catch parts of the tail end of it, too much background noise from the warships and fighters on the base to get a clear audio picture.

"Exceptional thinking ability… lower than normal docility…" The male observed, the softer voice of the female being inaudible due to the noise, much to Sabre's chagrin. "Entire squad shares… Recommend special… Yes, like CT-7567… Alpha-17…"

Both good _and_ bad things Sabre knew from experience.

The Kaminoans walked away as they continued speaking, an _Acclamator_ drowning out their voices as it roared overhead.

Sabre oddly didn't feel a pit in his gut as he watched them go.

He wondered why _that_ was?

Maybe it was the glorious sensation of standing up to them?

Or maybe something more substantial…?

* * *

**Presidential Palace, Senate District, Galactic City, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Kelia bowed and thanked Palpatine for the tour as she headed over to the bar with Anakin in tow, the Bothan sitting down to grab a drink. "You not getting one?"

"My master would throw a fit." Anakin pointed out as he sat down. "Besides, I'm due to deploy to the Thanium Sector in a few days. The Council has noticed an uptick in Separatist activity there and wants me and Master Kenobi to investigate."

Kelia nodded before remembering something. "Y'know, I wanna ask… What was it like growing up on Tatooine?"

Anakin looked at the counter and scowled rather harshly.

"Actually… Uh, if it's not something you wanna talk about…"

Anakin shook his head. "No, I have to get it off my chest at some point… The Jedi won't understand, so I might as well speak to someone who can, other than the Chancellor."

Kelia shrugged as she ordered a Mandalorian Ale from the Bartender droid by tapping the order on a dataslate embedded in the counter. "Trust is a weird thing sometimes… You'll tell someone you barely know things you wouldn't tell your own family…" She observed as she leaned over on the counter.

Anakin nodded. "Anyway… You're actually not the _first_ Bothan I've tried to strike up a friendship with…" Anakin said sheepishly.

"Really?"

"Yeah… I had a friend named Dorn back on Tatooine. Didn't know him that long since he was safely taken offworld by a relative of one of my friends, but he was nice enough."

Kelia cocked an eyebrow as her drink was placed before her, knowing there had to be more to that story. "What else is there to that?"

"Well it involves a bunch of slave kids simultaneously screwing over the two most powerful crime lords on Tatooine, evading a bunch of angry Dug mercenaries, and then proceeding to save several of their number from slavery thanks to a smuggler's aid."

Kelia wasn't sure whether to be aghast or impressed after putting two and two together. "You were a slave…?" She whispered.

Anakin nodded slowly. "Until I was nine… My mother and I were owned by a Toydarian, who was fairer than most masters… Better than Gardulla at least..."

He didn't particularly hold any fond feelings for Watto, but he rarely struck him or his mother and _never_ beat them.

Whether out of pragmatism or some odd form of caring Anakin still didn't know.

"So you were freed by the Jedi I assume… What about your mother…?"

The snarl of pure _rage_ that suddenly took over Anakin's face caused Kelia to jump in fright, her heart pounding as Anakin's now aggravated Force presence set off her flight or fight instincts simply by her being this near to him. "I don't want to talk about it." He hissed angrily through clenched teeth.

"G… Got it…" She stuttered timidly, turning back to her drink as Anakin looked over at her, worried, after calming down quickly enough.

"I'm sorry… It's just… A very painful memory… I lost her not long before the Clone Wars started…"

"Oh…" Kelia said softly as her nerves quickly calmed when Anakin's Force presence receded, understanding how fresh the pain was.

She'd had a _decade _to mourn and remember her friends and still never fully got over it.

Anakin had lost his mother around two_ months_ ago.

There wasn't really anything she could do but offer empty condolences to him.

And of course, the karking _Jetii_ probably would've offered him their usual 'Rejoice in their becoming one with the force' _oisk_ rather than anything actually constructive.

"_Jetii Or'dinii…"_ She thought ruefully, the Order had as many faults as it had pros, perhaps even a few more.

Anakin's hand slammed on the counter, surprising Kelia as a soft noise issued from his throat, tears beginning to stream down his face.

He was _crying_.

Gingerly, the Bothan reached up and gently rubbed his back. "Listen… I know what it's like to lose someone… Three of my closest friends were murdered by pirates when I was eleven… The bastards responsible got their due thanks to the Judicials managing by chance to sweep on the karked up frequency Kothlis was using and catching the scum as the tried to run… But… It doesn't fill the emptiness…" Kelia managed as Anakin looked at her, surprised that he managed to find someone who could relate to him. "I don't think the pain ever really goes away… Not entirely…" She said, nearly on the verge of tears herself at the memories.

"No… I don't think it does." He agreed after a moment's silence.

"But we can at least try to move on, live our lives like they'd want us to." Kelia suggested as she passed Anakin a glass of water, which she'd ordered quickly enough. "To those we've lost…" She offered, holding her own glass up.

Anakin used the force to move the water into his hand, raising his up as well and giving Kelia a pained smile. "And to those we still have…" He finished for her.

They clinked their glasses together and drank.

* * *

**AN: And scene.**

**Anakin never truly stopped hurting after losing his mother, and you have to remember, when he became Vader she'd died only _three_ years prior.**

**And the worst part of it all, was that Anakin hadn't seen her in **_**ten **_**years, and then when he **_**did**_** see her again, she died in his arms, throwing Anakin into a rage.**

**Padme's oddly muted reaction aside (thanks George), it's understandable that Anakin would've gone on a murderous rampage given his traumatic history and issues stemming from the Jedi not really realizing that by labeling him as the 'Chosen One', they'd put an image in his head that he felt he had to live up to, and thus failing that image could potentially send him over the edge.**

**In the case of that Tusken camp, that's exactly what happened.**

**Having never personally lost a parent, sibling, or close friend I don't particularly know what it's **_**like**_** firsthand, but based on listening to people I know who **_**have**_** experienced such loss… It's not something you really get over.**

**As for Anakin's force presence affecting Kelia, the Force has a very well noted connection to the natural world, and thus can affect the mood of living beings around force sensitives.**

**For example, an enraged Sith would terrify the crap out of everything and everyone in the vicinity of them who wasn't also a skilled force user, further amplifying their natural fear.**

**Meanwhile a Jedi with control over their emotions can exude a calming aura to de-stress the nerves of those around them or placate animals.**

**It's sort of a level of mysticism to the force that isn't properly used in a lot of media, Rebels notably being the one source that featured such use of the Force frequently as far as I can remember.**

**Most Droids would naturally be unaffected by nonphysical presences in the force unless said presence was Sith Spirit or something.**

**Anyways, Anakin was always unconventional at best, and it's heavily implied throughout the franchise that the Jedi Order cannot provide him the support structure he needs to remain a decently functional human being due to his mindset being so different from the vast bulk of the Jedi.**

**It's one of several fatal flaws in the Jedi Code post-Ruusan, the Jedi are more than capable of providing advice that would work for those initiated in their ways but not for an emotionally troubled Anakin, whom grew up a slave until the age of 9 and therefore got a **_**very**_** abbreviated version of an initiate's education and none of the upbringing.**

**And among the only individuals he can even talk to about his troubles are his wife and Palpatine, the former of whom does her best but both she and him are too busy to talk much about it…**

**And the other is a Sith Lord who **_**wants**_** him emotionally troubled since it'll drive a deeper wedge between Anakin and the Jedi.**

**It really just**_** sucks**_** to be Anakin. He's born into slavery, loses his mother once when she's unable to be freed alongside him, loses her for good when she dies in his arms, loses his Padawan to the Jedi Council's incompetence and their falling to pressure from the Republic Military to mount a show trial, and their refusal to admit they fucked up as well, loses several close friends over the course of the war and beforehand to a variety of circumstances, gets treated like crap by some of the snobbier Jedi given his mentality and upbringing, loses his wife because he was tricked by Palpatine into playing into the exact set of circumstances that would lead to her death while the Jedi Council twiddled their thumbs up their asses and assumed he'd be okay with playing their political games while being unknowing played themselves like fiddles by Sidious, **_**assumes**_** he loses his child (later revealed to him to be child**_**ren**_**) when Padme dies, and then lives a life of being a complete monster because he's so damn broken and self-loathing that he takes all of his anger and directs it at everyone around him.**

**And then, just when he's finally brought back from this pit of hatred… He dies saving his son, the only thing he'd done in two _decades_ that was likely worth anything of substance to him.**

**End rant.**

**And because I almost forgot otherwise, since the _Cord_ has no description beyond it being a relatively small craft with a single laser cannon... Which means that for the purposes of the story it resembles the Arwing fighter from the Starfox 64 game and its modern design updates.**

**Which is almost fitting since the Arwings and Cornerian Fighters in Assault were apparently heavily inspired by the V-Wing interceptor, with the latter having the exact same profile as the Alpha-3 _Nimbus_ to boot.**

**And on a finale note. Dooku's first name here is derived from first part of the Welsh 'word' 'Dros Dos', which means temporary.**

**In fitting with Dooku's role as per what Palpatine desires.**


	9. Darkness Rising: Departure to the Tion

**AN: Chapter 9, en-route.**

**Have relisted the story as an AU, since it's heading there pretty damn hard right now based on my overall plan for how long the Clone Wars will run.**

**NGL tho I'm not entirely sure how well the last section of this Chapter will go over, but I digress and might as well put it out and see what people think, if there's serious issue's I'll modify it to make a bit more sense while still trying to keep the general plan for it.**

**'Course, you shoulda seen what an atrocity it was _before_ I deleted half of it because it got way too rambly and off topic.**

**Reviews-**

**Thraus: Anyone who knows history would intimately understand authoritarianism is inherently evil, or at the least uncaring and brutal, except under _very_ controlled conditions.**

**But the Republic was so inept and corrupt to the core (partially due to the machinations of the Sith, and partially due to its on decaying nature as a millennium of peace wore away the vigilance of those who sought to protect democracy, and those with integrity thus became the minority in politics, to the point that due to their actions in enriching themselves at the cost of their constituents) that the Empire was by contrast initially _widely_ welcomed on countless worlds, particularly after the Clone Wars, for the seeming simplicity and straightforwardness of its rule compared to the endless squabbling of over a thousand senators and countless more local officials at varying levels, a unified command structure existed, albeit one that was still subject to turf wars among Moffs, Military Officers, and Governors.**

**And where the Republic failed to ensure the safety of its citizens and let corruption run rampant in the Rim, the Empire, at least in its early years, brought law and order to the Galaxy from the Deep Core to the Outer Rim, crushing pirate fleets and CIS holdouts in the immediate aftermath of the Clone Wars and for several years afterwards, and such efforts were nostalgicized by the Empire after the more rabidly authoritarian nature of the regime emerged in the years leading up to Yavin.**

**Many good people, such as Jan Dodonna, Crix Madine, Juno Eclipse, and hundreds if not thousands of others served the Empire loyally before having a crisis of conscience and defecting to the ever growing Rebellion when they felt they couldn't be a part of the Empire's atrocities any longer.**

**Even Baron Soontir Fel believed in the Empire's capability for good, and the Empire did do some good actually, but he was blinded to the far more numerous evils it committed in the name of 'security' and 'peace'.**

**Hell, _Luke_ believed the Empire was a good thing despite Biggs trying to convince him otherwise (he himself having borne witness to Imperial Atrocities while stationed aboard the frigate _Rand Ecliptic_ before he helped hijack it for the Rebellion), until his Aunt and Uncle were murdered by Sandtroopers on Vader's orders over a pair of droids and he was exposed to the reality of what the Empire was.**

**The banality of evil isn't _just_ that good people do nothing.**

**It's that good people can be readily convinced that the path of evil is the _only_ way to fix things when everything is broken.**

* * *

_**"Nobody really remembers the Dark Reaper Crisis due to how**_** remote **_**the entire affair was from the core worlds, the campaign being almost exclusively limited to the Tion Cluster barring a Separatist incursion on the Wookiee Colony of Alaris Prime... For those who lived through it however, they vividly remembered the sinking feeling of dread, the desperation to destroy the dreaded superweapon before it could be fully reactivated and turned on the**_**_ Republic by the Separatists, which would ensure their victory as it was deemed that no living organism could withstand the life draining effects of the New Sith Wars era Superweapon long enough to destroy it."_-Excerpt from _The_ _Stubborn Breaths__ of an Era Long Past: The Legacy of Exar Kun_, published 62 ABY.**

* * *

**13:6:13 GrS.**

**Presidential Palace, Senate District, Galactic City, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Korsk nodded as he conversed with a CSF officer about recent happenings on the planet.

"And basically, we're seeing more than a few old foundries coming back online… And nobody's accounting for the raw material shipments to them or who's operating them." The Police Captain informed him.

"And you think it's related to the Separatists?" Korsk inquired, tapping his chin.

"Could be, could also be some top-secret GAR project going on down there." He expressed with a shrug. "Either way my people have been stonewalled by Senate Intelligence whenever they try to look into it, which leads me to believe it's something more than just weapons production for the Coruscant Guard and the CSF. And worse, there's some people in Special Forces who keep diverting assets away from my investigations for kark of their own, we've already had to investigate seven dumped airspeeders presumably used by them within the past week, and there's been no declaration of martial law to justify them disappearing people either."

Korsk shrugged. "I'll talk to some of my people, see if we can't find out whether it's Republic or Separatist… You never know if the enemy could have agents on the inside."

"That's always a possibility yes…" The Captain stated grimly. "Worst-case scenario they're building an invasion army on the very planet they intend to invade…"

"An unprecedented effort, but a dangerous one…" Korsk agreed as he glanced about warily but not obviously. "Worse, who's to say such an operation couldn't occur on Humbarine, Alsakan, Hosnian Prime, or any other cityworld where dormant droid and vehicle foundries could be discreetly reactivated?"

"Don't think I'll be sleeping as soundly until this damn war's over…"

"Neither will I, Captain Yannick." Korsk muttered in agreement.

"Well, I best be off, have things to do, gotta go watch the Commissioner chew out Obrim later for getting Isard on his rear by working with that Mando Sergeant over at Arca Barracks." The Police Captain said candidly as he began to walk away.

"See ya."

"Give my regards to your mother when you next talk to her by the way, CSF still owes her for her help in that incident on Hesperidium."

Korsk chuckled. "I'll be sure to do that." He said as Yannick strode out of the ballroom.

* * *

Mas Amedda walked up to Palpatine as they stood off to the side, a few Red Guards standing at a distance to keep them isolated from the partygoers, the music having increased in volume to avoid their conversation being picked up. "What is your plan for the Bothan in the event you can convince her to accept the New Order is needed?" He inquired in a hushed whisper, Palpatine smiling softly in response, remembering something his Sith Master had taught him during a business trip to Bothawui decades ago. "She seems too principled to accept the actions that may be 'necessary' for your plans." The Vice-Chair of the Senate continued.

"I have already accounted for that. You see, the Bothans have an oath known as the _Krevi_, whereupon they swear fealty to a cause _greater_ than their species… It does not matter _what_ happens to said cause, be it a leadership change or it morphing into something unrecognizable, they _cannot_ break the oath without bringing great shame upon their family, themselves, and their clan. And Bothan culture revolves almost _entirely_ around reputation, contrary to what most may think." Palpatine chuckled softly, his features seeming more predatory now that he was alone in confidence. "Moreover, she's of _Mandalorian_ descent, meaning that honor is even _more_ paramount among her clan than it would be normally."

The Bothans, such a proud species.

And so _easily _manipulated.

The male Chagrian nodded sagely. "If that is what you plan to do, then I have nothing further on that matter… But when to make her commit to such an oath?"

"It's quite simple, have her take a leading role in the coming crisis by assigning her ship to General Kenobi's forces, once she sees the lengths that the Separatists are willing to go for a quick victory it will draw her ever further into the coils of our plans. Should her leadership abilities evolve enough in that time, we can justify the state of the war as reason enough to promote her to Admiral." The hidden Sith Lord informed his associate. "If properly groomed, she could be quite useful as an officer in the New Order." Palpatine said, the wheels of his mind turning as he remembered that Anakin was due to head to the Thanium Sector in the coming days.

Perhaps sooner if the Jedi grew concerned enough about Separatist activity in the region. And of course there were only a handful of unassigned and combat ready warships capable of supporting a long range recon operation like that…

One of which was the _Kestrel_.

"I see… And what about your plan to manipulate the human population of the Galaxy? Won't a nonhuman Admiral be at odds with that?" Amedda inquired.

"You act like a few nonhumans here and there will matter all that much to those _simpletons_. I could care less what they think so long as they fall in line when the New Order rises, if playing to a set of beliefs enough to placate them is what they require then so be it." Palpatine sneered softly as they strode out of the ballroom chambers, the Red Guards escorting them in lockstep. "All the easier the more highly placed these individuals are, as they can be outed as exceptions who've proven loyalty and competence in service to the 'Citizens of the Galaxy'." He stated with a flourish of his hands.

Mas Amedda nodded carefully, deciding not to aggravate Sidious any further.

It would be all too simple for the Chagrian to suddenly suffer an 'unfortunate heart failure' while on a walk with the Chancellor.

And really, what did _species_ or _sex_ mean to someone who desired _true_ immortality? To someone who wielded _real_ and very_ tangible_ power?

Sith was Sith, no matter what their form was, so long as they adhered to the tenets of their Order.

Anyone else was a steppingstone to be trampled underfoot, a pawn to be commanded and expended, or an obstacle to be removed.

That was what it meant to be _Sith_. The goal of accumulating power above all else.

And Sidious was Sith to his core, worldly concerns such as ideology and xenophobia were mostly irrelevant to him, if so he desired to exterminate someone, he could do so with the snap of a wrist should he deem it worth his time or the risk of exposure.

Mas Amedda would remember that for the rest of his life as he tried to make sure he stayed as something above a pawn on the chessboard.

To do anything less would mean his death.

* * *

Kelia giggled softly as she sat up straighter. "And then what?"

"Well, then my Master came up and held out my lightsaber to me and told me 'this weapon is your life, take good care of it.'."

"This is leading somewhere funny, isn't it?" Kelia chuckled.

Anakin looked down sheepishly. "And then, a few weeks later on Geonosis, when I wasn't paying attention, the emitter got chopped off by some droid factory machinery… When I tried to turn it on it just sparked off from the kyber crystal and I realized that _Obi-Wan_ might kill me before the Geonosians did. And we were there to _rescue_ him."

The Bothan snorted loudly before she burst into a fit of laughter. "Wow, that's…"

"Unfortunate?" Anakin asked with a wry grin.

"Not the phrase I'd use, but let's go with that." Kelia said good-naturedly.

Anakin opened his mouth to speak again before hearing his comlink chatter. "Skywalker." He confirmed as he clicked the line open.

["Padawan. Your presence is required at the Jedi Temple."] Obi-Wan's voice issued from the speaker, Anakin frowning.

"What's so important that my presence would be required now Master? We're not deploying for another few days aren't we?"

["That's the issue, we're being deployed _now_, the timetable has moved up."]

"I didn't think there were any cruisers available for tasking…"

["There aren't, however, there _is_ a Star Destroyer that hasn't been assigned to an operational force yet as it's on downtime for repairs and assigning new elements to its complement…"]

Anakin glanced over at Kelia. "I see… Which ship is it?"

["The _Kestrel_."] Obi-Wan replied flatly.

"Understood Master, I'll be back as soon as possible. Skywalker out." Anakin said before ending the call.

"So… You best get going I guess." She said with a shrug.

"Not just me, it appears we're _both_ shipping out tomorrow."

Kelia blinked in surprise. "Eh…?"

"Your ship is fully combat capable but was merely awaiting assignment of replacement units for its complement. Therefore, it's been reassigned to head the patrol group going to the Thanium Sector in the Tion Cluster and has already been resupplied fully."

Kelia groaned loudly, admittedly she'd wanted to spend more time at home, but the demands of war clearly came first. "Right… I guess that's enough drinking for me then." She sighed softly, muttering under her breath about bad timing, since she'd planned to spend meaningful time with her daughter and husband for once in literally a _year_.

"My apologies. I'm aware you haven't spent all that much time with your family…"

Anakin could understand where she was coming from more than Kelia knew, having spent very little time with Padme since they were married due to the war.

He cherished every second of it as a result.

"No, it's alright… You didn't have a say in it any more than I did." She assured him as she stood up. "Well, looks like I need to head back and grab my husband on the way out… See you at departure then."

Anakin nodded as they turned and strode away from the bar.

* * *

**13:6:14 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Dock 66, Naval Base Aurek, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Kelia adjusted her uniform cap as she stared out over the hull of her ship, freshly repaired and repainted from the scarring she'd suffered at Muunilinst.

The new fighters and bombers she'd requested were already aboard, having been transferred overnight when the news of the _Kestrel's_ impending departure filtered in.

The 608th had likewise been reinforced, and the ship was prepping to depart even as she stood there.

She sighed, it had been _bad_ when she'd come home with the news, sure, everyone understood.

But that didn't mean they were necessarily _happy_ with it, particularly herself given the precious little time she'd actually spent with Litat…

Well, all she had to do was not _die_ and she could spend time with her daughter when she next had shore leave on Coruscant.

"Captain, General Kenobi and Commander Skywalker are arriving." Perth informed her as he strode up to her side, interrupting her chain of thought.

Sure enough, a pair of Delta-7 _Aethersprite_ fighters were landing in the open forward hangar bay, two Syliure-31 hyperdrive rings being simultaneously loaded into a bay towards the bow by a pair of heavy lift droids, which flew off shortly afterwards.

She nodded. "Inform dock control that we're ready to depart."

"Sir!" Perth replied before spinning on his heel and striding off.

It wasn't long before Obi-Wan and Anakin, wearing full robes, strode onto the bridge, Kelia throwing them a salute, which they returned with nods. "General, we're departing now."

"Very good Captain, what's the situation of our taskforce?"

Kelia glanced over at Perth before looking back at Obi-Wan. "Our force consists of this vessel, one _Gladiator_-class Star Destroyer, two _Acclamators_, four _Arquitens_, three _Peltas_, four _Consular_ Light Assault Cruisers with the Sentinel c20 suite, and seven _Consulars_ with Charger c70 retrofits.

Obi-Wan raised an incredulous eyebrow. "A rather small force to patrol even a small _part _of a sector with."

"I'm sorry sir. This was all they could spare on such short notice; the rest of the fleet will be staging at the Cerulean Spear Command's central naval hub near Lantilles when they finish their own preparations."

Anakin grimaced. "So we're on our own?" He began before his master cut him off with a raised hand.

Obi-Wan nodded in understanding. "It appears that moving the timetable up removed a lot of our options."

"It gets worse, these _Acclamators_ are understaffed in terms of ground complement, the only reason I'm bringing them along is to serve as torpedo cruisers to support our line elements." Kelia admitted as the _Kestrel_ began to climb, the artificial gravity and inertial dampers eliminating the sense of vertigo or any issues with being at an angle to the planet surface they would have felt despite the ship climbing at a nearly forty-degree angle once clear of the dock. "Which means we'll have issues if we run into significant enemy forces."

The LAATs escorting the ship broke away, a group of V-19 Torrents taking over as they reached space.

Obi-Wan nodded even as he wondered what was going on. "Very well then, what forces _do_ we have on hand?"

Kelia pulled out her datapad. "The 212th Attack Battalion and the 442nd Siege Battalions aboard the _Galactic Guardian_, alongside the 501st Legion on the _Defiant_… Odd, that unit doesn't have any specific role assigned to them… And they're only at battalion strength as well…" She muttered at the end before continuing. "Anyways, these units are in addition to the 608th Mobile Corps aboard my own ship."

Obi-Wan frowned, wondering what they could do with less than eight thousand clones for their ground forces should they be required to engage on a planet's surface. "Very well then… I'll be headed down to meditate in my quarters…" Obi-Wan stated calmly before turning to leave.

"I'll probably be in the hangar, tinkering with my fighter." Anakin said with a shrug.

"Flight deck actually, the hangar deck is one level below." Kelia corrected him. At Anakin's raised eyebrow she added. "With all due respect, did you think a ship this size could carry over four hundred fighters plus gunships, ground equipment, and shuttles on just one deck?"

Anakin shrugged and gave her a smirk. "Well, at least I know that there's some form of logic in this Galaxy." He joked subtly as he followed Obi-Wan.

Kelia nodded. "Well, guess I should get back to preparing for our jump to hyperspace."

"Sir!" A Clone Trooper manning a comms console piped up.

"What is it Yap?" The Bothan asked as she turned to look down at him.

"CR25 requesting landing clearance in ventral bay." The Clone replied as he looked over his shoulder towards her. "They have SF codes sir."

Kelia sighed and pinched the upper part of her muzzle, dealing with Special Forces was starting to become a curse on her ship, admittedly she had a decent working relationship with them but still…

How many times were they gonna keep involving her in whatever operations they had running?

"Well, let them land." She instructed. "And send them up to my office…"

"Sir." Yap replied as he saluted and walked over to a terminal.

Kelia looked out over the assembling squadron, which organized itself into two battle lines and two escort flotillas.

"All hands, standby for the jump to hyperspace!" Kelia ordered.

Shortly thereafter, the squadron shot forwards into hyperspace and vanished, heading down the Perlemian Trade Spine towards Lantilles and the Tion Cluster.

* * *

**13:6:14 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Hyperspace.**

Only ten minutes later, Kelia was working on something in her office when there was a chime at her door. "Enter." She said flatly.

The door open to reveal a rather amused looking violet skinned Twi'lek with a lieutenant's badge on her uniform standing there, an ARC Captain, a Clone Commander, and a very _familiar_ group of Clone Commandos standing behind her.

"That any way to greet an old friend Kelia?" Ielec Gibe chuckled as she placed her hands on her hips.

Kelia blinked in surprise before getting out of her chair. "Ielec!? What're you doing here!?" The Bothan asked as she stepped towards her friend, whom entered the office and shared a hug with Kelia for a few seconds.

"Hell if I know, I got orders from command to report to this ship with Delta Squad, their advisor, and Captain Ordo here."

Kelia blinked as she looked at the odd ARC out. "Ordo… Ah, you're the ARC from the platform…"

Ordo nodded curtly. "Ma'am."

Kelia regarded the ARC before nodding back, she'd heard stories about the Nulls being borderline functional sociopaths when interacting with anyone who wasn't part of the circle of individuals they cared about from a handful of the Clones back at Naval Base Aurek.

Ordo was apparently the most volatile of the lot, with even his _buir_ being frightened and surprised at times by his mood swings.

Damned Kaminoans.

Well, there was still one last thing she had to get out of the way.

"I'm aware of how you treat the command chain Captain, and while I'm not happy with the fact you will most likely refuse to follow orders given that could very well get good men killed, I do suppose that fault is entirely the result of the Kaminoans being incompetent." Kelia stated with a shrug as she walked back over to her desk and sat down in her chair. "Nevertheless, I'll try to avoid stepping on your feet since you're technically outside the standard chain of command anyways."

Ordo regarded her curiously, most officers, Clone or not, tended to demand he get the hell out of their sight if they knew of the Null's reputation.

Most didn't want the trouble, and Ordo didn't blame them so he tended to do as they asked rather than instigate something and give the GAR a reason to crack down on the Nulls, and therefore disappoint _Kal'buir_.

Part of Ordo remembered the near-brawls between Jango, whom kept having to remind _Kal'buir_ about the contract, and the latter, whom insisted that what they were doing to the Clones was wrong and that the Clones shouldn't be bound to a cause they had no investment in.

And yet… _Kal'buir_ kept his mouth shut and did his job, aside from letting the Nulls run rampant and screw around in Tipoca he hadn't done a damn thing to ensure the rest of the Clones were treated decently beyond beating the _osik_ out of Vau after he nearly killed Atin in a training fight.

Ordo felt a twinge of fear, and he briefly wondered if _Kal'buir_ was being pragmatic or apathetic when it suited him.

A thought for later, but a scary one nonetheless, how many companies of Clones vanished because they didn't fit the mould for the GAR as seen by the aiwhabait? How many _vode_ were euthanized while _Kal'buir_ looked the other way and said nothing to Jango, whom held great leverage over Lama Su due to his status as genetic source, even if said defects were so minor as to be practically inconsequential?

Doubt was not a feeling Ordo liked.

Regardless of his personal dilemma here, Los'ean was a different kind of officer so far, she gave a damn about the Clones and their lot.

Maybe if she proved herself, he could find it in him to care about her and _her_ lot…

Maybe.

"Very well then." Ordo said curtly, not really sure what else would suffice.

"So, what exactly is the assignment here? I'm already tasked with patrolling the Thanium Sector for CIS activity…" She inquired.

Ielec looked at Delta Squad's advisor, CC-01/425, whom nodded and strode forwards.

Scorch whispered something to Sev as he did so, earning a slap to the back of his helmet from his brother.

"Stow it you two." Fixer warned before turning his attention back to the scene before him.

The Clone pulled out a holoprojector, showing a starmap of the Thanium Sector. "Currently, we're on an emergency deployment order from Chancellor Palpatine, who's requested Special Forces stand by in the Tion Cluster in the event of major Separatist movements towards Republic or Neutral systems with the 212nd and 442nd under Commander Cody, the 501st under Captain Rex, and the 608th under Commander Kursk and Major Tecs." The Clone explained curtly.

Ordo blinked, he'd assumed that names were mostly exclusive to ARCs and Commandos.

So it came as a surprise to hear that random _vode_ apparently had them en-masse, and seemingly had them for some time given the lack of reaction from the Deltas about it

How _much_ had he missed out on by revolving so closely around his fellow Nulls and _Kal'buir_?

Kelia frowned. "Oddly specific that it's just in the Tion…" She whispered softly before shrugging. "Regardless, I hope everyone's prepared for weeks on end of _nothing_ _to do_ when we arrive.

"Oh boredom! The mortal enemy of the soldier!" Scorch uttered dramatically as he clutched at his chest. "I have been slain by thee and made to set dumpsters aflame with Thermite charges! Curses!" He said as he clenched his other hand in a fist and shook it at the ceiling.

Kelia snorted and coughed into her gloved hand as she tried not to laugh while Ielec simply giggled under her breath and Sev chuckled even as he rolled his eyes behind his visor.

"As amusing as that is Scorch, I'd _highly_ advise against setting the ship's trash compactors on fire." Boss chimed in as he put a hand on his brother's shoulder armor, causing Delta 62 to make a noise in surprise. "You might have a dianoga crawl out of your toilet in the middle of the night while going to the refresher and decide to take revenge."

That gave everyone a laugh at Scorch's expense.

Even Ordo cracked a grin, the Deltas weren't _quite_ in that proverbial circle yet, but they were _vode_ regardless.

"Still, I'd advise keeping in shape… _Mishuk gotal'u meshuroke, pako kyore_ after all." Kelia said candidly.

The Clones all nodded even as Ielec cocked her head in confusion.

"Ah… What?"

"It's a _Mando'a_ phrase, translated it states, 'Pressure makes gems, ease makes decay'. While there's an old religious connotation from the days before Mandalore the Indomitable it's more of a practical statement about how keeping up training and maintaining some level of strictness prevents one from becoming sloppy." Kelia explained. "Mostly the old meaning refers to the religious warfare enacted by the Taung to ward off the 'Sloth God' _Arasuum_."

"Ah… Well, that explains a lot… You never did talk much about your heritage back at the War College, speaking of that, still don't know why you went to the PSF College to apply to the _Judicials_ of all things."

Kelia shrugged. "You never asked, _Mando'ade_ aren't well liked by the Republic for a variety of valid and not so valid reasons, and I'd rather not be associated with the idiots who got churned out by the 'academy' on Coruscant to answer your questions in that order."

Ielec shrugged back. "Fair enough, anyways, I'll be heading down to the quarters your XO assigned to me, talk to you later!" The Twi'lek said candidly as she headed out.

Kelia exhaled once she was gone. "Kark, I know we're friends but there needs to be some kind of… _Professionalism_…"

Fixer nodded almost imperceptibly, the Twi'lek was an interesting individual but her candidness was…

Disconcerting for most Clones.

"Scorch likes her." Sev snarked dryly, earning a pout from Scorch.

Kelia found herself frightened and amused that she could tell what expressions they were making merely from body language.

"Well, if that'll be all, the rest of you are free to go if you want…"

CC-01/425 cocked his helmet. "Sir?"

"It's… A suggestion more since Captain Skirata here will only accept orders if they pass through his _buir_ first from what I've heard, or if he's told them to accept orders unless they run contrary to the mission as far as I know. And even then he's an ARC, they tend to get picky about that sort of stuff." She said somewhat helplessly.

The Advisor nodded at her. "Understood."

Ordo gave her a dry smirk, at least the Bothan understood _that_ about ARCs.

Still, it was… Unnerving to hear someone sound so _resigned_ about his refusal to follow anyone's orders but _Kal'buir's_…

Usually they were more aggravated by it.

Scanning around the office, he noticed Scorch had drifted off slightly and was looking at a suit of _beskar'gam_ tailored to fit a female Bothan, specifically one around the Captain's proportions given the very _noticeable_ breast plating. "This yours?" Ordo asked out of the blue.

"The _beskar'gam_? Yeah, it's mine… Haven't worn it in a year or so, mostly just have the smiths in my clan keep it fitted from time to time for celebratory occasions." She replied as she looked over at it as well, the armor painted in drab green with black and gold trimming, with a low-reflective black visor that mimicked the more human-styled modern patterns via a bordered line of the same color that drew down and over the muzzle of the helmet, which itself had a weird sharktooth look on the sides of the 'snout'.

The Null ARC almost recoiled as he spotted the tell-tale indications that the suit had _shuk'orok_, the infamous Mandalorian crushguants, which had been _banned_ a couple centuries back.

Of course, given the Bothans that made up Clan A'ean had been expelled from Mandalorian space centuries_ before_ that, they either didn't know about the ban or just didn't care.

Ordo found himself impressed by the lack of damns they gave.

"Green, gold, and Black… Duty, vengeance, and justice?" Ordo inquired, wondering what made her pick that particular combination of colors.

The pattern of the helmet markings, specifically one inspired by the skulls of the Sky Dragons of Bothuwai, with the rest of the suit patterned to match based on the wing structure and scale patterns of the Sky Dragon, was interesting but ultimately of a predictable origin as were most armor markings on _beskar'gam_.

Either a Clan based tradition or it just looked cool to the owner of the suit.

Kelia nodded tepidly, looking down.

"It's… A bit of a personal story… Part of why I enlisted." She said after a few moments. "It's a bit of a long story and we have plenty of time on the patrol."

Ah… So a painful memory, well he didn't ask _Kal'buir_ about some things from his past and he had no reason to really press Los'ean about it at the moment either.

Which was just about the only thing stopping himself from acting like a complete _besom_ in front of the Deltas, whom would undoubtedly be overheard by one of his brothers, who'd tell _Kal'buir_.

Not for the last time Ordo would curse the damned Kaminoan _gihaal_ for making him a sociopath with little empathy for those he had no connection to.

He hated it so much since it had caused him, his brothers, and _Kal'buir_ so much grief at times. But it's impossible to drastically change something so ingrained into his mindset without…

'Reconditioning'…

And it'd be a cold day in the_ fiery _part of hell before he'd willingly allow the aihwabait anywhere near him with a mind probe ever again.

"I see…" Ordo said finally. "I'll be taking my leave then."

"Oh and, one last thing… Captain, I'm aware of how you probably view the Jedi… But please… Try not to aggravate Skywalker…"

Ordo raised an eyebrow at her.

"His temper… It's… Not exactly like you'd expect from a Jedi… To put it lightly." Kelia said before sighing. "It's on a hair trigger, say the wrong thing, especially maliciously and he's half-ready to crush your throat with the Force."

Ordo blinked. Oh, that was just great, the vaunted Jedi 'Chosen One' had a similar temperament to _himself_.

He counted himself surprised nonetheless, that at least _some_ Jedi were capable of emotion.

"I'll keep that in mind…" Ordo replied candidly before striding out of the room.

Boss and Delta Squad's advisor exchanged a shrug while Fixer grabbed Scorch by the backpack and yanking him away from the suit of Mandalorian Armor while Sev chuckled at his expense.

"Right, Delta Squad, you and your advisor are dismissed… Because I really need to get some paperwork done." Kelia said softly.

"Sir." They acknowledged in unison before filing out.

Kelia sighed as she pulled out an old holopic of herself and four of her closest friends, Eelo, Kith, Mineth, and Norr, on their ill-fated visit to Kothlis as part of a vacation trip, the two males and three females laughing and smiling as the picture was taken.

Just two days later, Kelia and Mineth would be the only two of them left alive, the latter mostly because she'd dragged an insensate Kelia to safety as pirate Cloakshape fighters and Z-95 Headhunters bombarded the resort area in concert with a group of _Marauder_-class corvettes and a couple modified Action VI transports before the gang landed and began to plunder the area.

Everything after that was a blur to Kelia, Mineth swore a Jedi had showed up but Kelia never saw them or their fighter.

Not like it mattered much...

"I'm so sorry…" She whispered as she brought a hand to her face and began to cry. "If I'd…"

If she'd just been stronger… If she didn't freeze up like a kriffing idiot.

Maybe they'd all still be alive…

* * *

Ordo strode down a hallway towards his quarters, earning some glares and testy looks from other Clones on the way, some of them muttering under their breath about him being one of 'Skirata's pampered brats'.

This gave Ordo pause, most of the _vode_ at Arca barracks didn't seem to mind him that much.

But then again, most of them didn't really _care_ so long as the Nulls got their jobs done correctly.

The rank and file on the _Kestrel_ however… They seemed to all but openly dislike him and his brother Nulls.

Wasn't hard to imagine why in retrospect.

He'd never once considered how the other Clones would view it the Null's 'games' back on Kamino. They may have disliked the aiwhabait just as much as the Nulls did, but the constant annoyances ground on them. Equipment repairs delayed because a tech had to go to the infirmary due to a blaster hit, impacting readiness, simulator failures delaying training exercises further and further and building up resentment.

"Hey, Null, here to sabotage the hyperdrive as part of your 'training exercises'?" One Clone in armor sneered as he passed with three others in a small group of four. "Can't be any worse than when you karking idiots got three quarters of a company _killed_ because the training droids opened fire on them with live bolts."

Ordo wheeled around in shock. "What did you say?" He asked, aghast at the accusation.

The angered Clone stopped, spun on him, and jabbed a finger at the Null's chestplate. "You _heard_ me, most of my company got killed during a training exercise because your _di'kuts_ decided it would be fun to sabotage the monitoring computers and make them switch the training droids to fire _kill_ bolts and then shot at the techs who were trying to shut the system down and save _lives_. I lost _dozens_ of my brothers that day and you _hut'uuns_ just laughed and went back to your precious sergeant like it was nothing!" He growled angrily. "The worst part was that no disciplinary action was taken because he decided to cover for you and say that you weren't responsible for the computer error, but _every_ Clone knew you _besoms_ were responsible given the track record for 'unexplained equipment malfunctions'! Oh and you got the monitoring computers you wanted to hit by the way just in case you were wondering, but you hit the testing range when there were _vode _on it because you didn't bother to check if there was a last minute schedule change since you lot have 'perfect memory recall' or some _osik_! Bunch of damned brats acting like you're better than the rest of us!"

Another Trooper grabbed them by the shoulder even as Ordo stared at them in mute horror, arms shaking. "I… I didn't…" He whispered.

"Axl, stop… He didn't know." The intervening Trooper said as he tried to calm the man down.

"Kriff off Niner! He deserves every bit of it and you know it!" Axl snarled as he shoved his brother aside and stormed off, still fuming, the other three each giving Ordo a mixed look of pity and disgust before following their brother.

Ordo felt physically _ill_, he and his brothers had never actually intended to get anyone _killed_ with their 'pranks', least of all fellow Clones.

He remembered _Kal'buir's_ ashen face when he came into their quarters that day.

How could he _not_ with his eidetic memory?

It was the day he put a permanent end to their sabotage games, their shooting at the techs.

Ordo hadn't known at the time, assuming Jango had simply gotten fed up with the constant disturbances and threatened to have the Nulls removed from his care, reconditioned and placed in proper units with the other ARCs, or even just killed outright if necessary.

Now he knew the horrifying details about _why_ their games had ended.

And it hurt much more to know that _Kal'buir_ hadn't told _any_ of the Nulls, his _sons_, the reasoning, and that _this_ was why he kept them even further apart from the regulars from that point on.

Then there was the general resentment from the rank and file and the other ARCs and many of the Commando Squads.

The Nulls _were_ pampered, he realized begrudgingly.

_Kal'buir _let them have the run of the place, ran interference when Jango and the Kaminoans tried to put their foot down, and generally gave them a free reign to cause havoc.

And kept them apart from everyone else so they couldn't bear witness to the consequences of their actions…

It was natural that everyone else would resent them for that, for making their lives harder while they got a free pass.

The issue was _Kal'buir_ had tried to be the exact _opposite_ of Vau, whom was absolutely brutal with his training methods, even if well-intentioned, while Kal used consistently used the bait rather than the stick.

Especially with the Nulls, his 'sons'.

And that in and of itself was a problem.

Ordo continued towards his room.

What else had _Kal'buir_ not told them…? What else had he hid? He thought as he shut his door behind him after entering.

To make matters worse, he couldn't trust _Kal'buir_ or his fellow Nulls to be objective to his questioning, not when it came to this… At best he'd be viewed as having lost it…

At worst…

He didn't want to think about that scenario…

Even Mereel and Prudii might lash out at him if he brought up the possibility, to say nothing of how A'den, Jaing, or Kom'rk would react. None of them would want to believe that Kal was outright avoiding telling them things they needed to know.

On the other hand, Kom'rk might even _know_ about the entire thing given his penchant for sniffing out lies and he didn't trust his brothers enough with the truth, just like _Kal'buir_ didn't.

If he knew…

And if he knew…

Then _Kal'buir_ knew _he_ knew…

Ordo had found it strange that Kal took Kom'rk aside from him and the other Nulls after telling them to stop their 'games' but hadn't thought much of it at the time.

He snarled as his fingernails threatened to shred though his bodyglove given how tightly he was clenching his hands as he stormed into the refresher.

Betrayal even from his _vod_, from his _buir_. From _family_.

Kriff, how could he even begin explaining this to anyone on the ship now? His rank and file _vode_ hated him, someone on Delta, likely Scorch, would end up gabbing off and it would reach _Kal'buir_ via Vau or possibly another Commando Squad, the Jedi wouldn't karking understand and he didn't much care for their presence either, and of the two birthborn officers, only the Captain of the _Kestrel _knew anything of substance regarding Mandalorian culture.

But nothing of a betrayal of trust of this magnitude.

Fed up with it all, Ordo slammed his armored fist into the mirror and let out an anguished cry of rage as it cracked.

* * *

**AN: Y'know… While writing this, I realized that Ordo is… Unique, for a set of very specific reasons.**

**His temperament, quickness to anger when least expected, his hatred of the individuals who wronged him and his undying loyalty to those he's close to, his exceptional nature, his mindset and loyalty to a father figure who has a hidden agenda of his own, the fact even among his brother Nulls he seems to be an outsider at times, that Etain and other Jedi sensed the Dark Side so thoroughly entrenched inside him.**

**In my mind he's the Clone counterpart to **_**Anakin**_**, far more so then Rex could ever be.**

**Not sure if this is what Karen Traviss was going for, but it's what she made in the end. And it's a great thing to play around with TBH.**

**Anyways, we're a chapter or so away from the Dark Reaper crisis beginning and already major changes are in the pipeline.**

**And yes, for all my feelings about the controversial nature of this, Ordo is handling this realistically, he **_**wants**_** to believe Kal loves him as a son, and Kal legitimately **_**does **_**to cut off any conspiratorial thoughts on that matter, but he's also a Null ARC with all the enhanced brainpower, perfect memory retention, and mental issues that come with that.**

**So he's starting to question what exactly Kal is telling him, what's the truth and what's a lie or a distortion.**

**And what he _isn't_ telling the Nulls.**

**Ordo may be loyal to his _buir_, but even _he_ has limits for how much he's willing to accept Kal lying to his face or twisting the truth based on his own bias, knowingly or not.**

**But yeah, rant aside… I doubt I have a perfect solution for the blatant sue-ness that Clan Skirata gives off at times given the propensity of them to just get away with almost **_**everything**_** they attempt because everyone else who isn't on their side is supposedly an idiot who can't put one and one together to make two, everyone who _is_ on their side is somehow positioned well enough in the Republic's hierarchy to cover for them, and how the Nulls seemingly _never_ fail at _anything_ they attempt despite that being statistically impossible, but it's one of the better ones we'll probably see.**

**Also because the Republic won't be even a fraction as incompetent as Traviss makes them seem. Corrupt yes, but incompetent no. Especially since Armand Isard is the man in charge of Republic Intelligence and therefore will pounce upon any suspicion of treason like a hawk on a rabbit.**

**Doesn't mean he'll get them, since the Nulls are still very competent and thus would be able to pass the blame, even if barely, but it'll shake them up pretty bad since he's a hardass who has no issue with destroying a _planet_ to retaliate against a supposed 'terror attack' as the people of Orleon found out when he unleashed a horde of stone mites on their world, believing Separatist Bio Labs to be present, leading to the planet's population of 800 _million_ being evacuated as the stone mites devoured their settlements and then moved on to the planet itself.**

**And he won't trust _any_ of the Nulls to boot given their loyalty ultimately lays with Kal, and he would quite blatantly know that because of the Arca Barracks incident.**

**Also yeah, you think the rest of the Clones, with their highly disciplined and regimented lifestyle growing up, _wouldn't_ resent the Nulls as a general rule? Order and obedience are the words they live by, so finding out that a handful of other Clones are just going around and messing things up and then getting away with it would be highly aggravating to them.**

**The main flaws with the Republic Commando series are that people don't inherently dislike or feel overly wary around the Nulls at first due to their sociopathic tendencies and blind loyalty to Kal over the Republic, that the Republic doesn't catch on to Clan Skirata and its allies sooner and start cutting threads in a small shadow war between them, that Etain is a moron and _nobody_ tries to stop her from being one (which gets her _killed_), and that Traviss seemingly vehemently _hates_ the Jedi and it _shows_ in her writing.**


	10. Darkness Rising: The Crisis Begins

**AN:** **Chapter 10, en-route.**

* * *

**_"Those grunts on Geonosis better shut up about the heat, I'll take that dustbowl over this karking_ ****osik _any day_****."-Anonymous Clone Snowtrooper assigned to Bravo Base.**

* * *

**13:6:17 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Galidraan System, Thanium Sector, Tion Cluster.**

Ordo looked out a viewport towards the blue-green and white jewel of Galidraan.

The site of the final defeat of the True Mandalorians, the last _decent_ resistance to Death Watch's ambitions outside the New Mandalorians.

Ordo didn't really know how to feel about it, on one hand he hated the Jedi for going in with intent to slaughter.

On the other… They'd both been lied to, tricked so readily due to their ignorance…

And many _Mando'ade_ and _Jetii_ alike paid the price, dying as sacrificial pawns in Tor Vizla's game.

It made Ordo think. The Jedi and Mandalorians, two sides of the same coin who were abused by outsiders and their enemies for their own ends, lacking the will to truly change of their own accord and clinging to outdated codes and past glories respectively.

No wonder both were failing, the Sith had apparently evolved based on the fact they'd been hidden in the shadows for so long… If that _dar'jetii_ was even a real Sith.

The Jedi and True _Mando'ade_ had _not_.

He wondered what Jango would've thought about it all when put into context.

"Centi-cred for your thoughts Captain Ordo?" Came a cultured voice from behind him.

Obi-Wan Kenobi strode up to Ordo and gazed out the viewport.

"General." Ordo replied curtly without replying otherwise.

He'd encountered Kenobi once, he wasn't fond of the man, he had yet to meet a Jedi who he _was_ fond of, but he had a strong rapport with his men and genuinely cared for the Clones under his command, willing to put his own life on the line for theirs.

At times he was even the last one aboard the evacuation gunships during those smaller scale operations he'd been on so far, using his well-honed defensive lightsaber skills to ward off blasterfire while wounded were evacuated.

And that was enough for Ordo to at_ least_ treat him with respect.

"You're thinking about the battle down there, aren't you… Hardly the Order's finest moment to say the least I'll admit." Kenobi admitted candidly.

Ordo raised an eyebrow at the Jedi. "And why per-tell, do you think that?" He asked, deciding to cut to the chase in his usual fashion.

"Because my Master's Master led the force that wiped out the True Mandalorians… And it wasn't something he fondly remembered."

Ordo blinked in surprise. "Your master…?"

He disliked Jedi, but he had no reason to be overtly rude to Kenobi just yet, better to not cause any unnecessary complications.

"Was trained by Count Dooku, yes… Though he'd taken on another Padawan by that time, my Master remembered Dooku as being appalled by how easily the Order was played like fools… While it was not the main reason, he left the Order, it _was _a contributing factor." Obi-Wan explained, leaving out the details behind Qui-Gon's death and the Council's handling of the Naboo Crisis being the final straw for Dros Dooku.

Ordo colored himself surprised that the Jedi weren't all so full of themselves as to be blind to their own faults.

Which confirmed his suspicions that _Kal'buir_ was letting his bias affect him, that his sons needn't see the faults of the _Mando'ade_.

It pained Ordo to know that his _buir _had fed them gilded tales of Mandalorian glory, and made him wonder _why_. "I see… Where were you at that time?"

"On Coruscant… Though later in the Great Clan Wars I would be assigned a special task, defending Satine Kryze from assassins alongside a group of Mandalorian Protectors."

"The _what_…?" Ordo whispered, shocked.

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "I'm honestly surprised you don't know about them. It was shortly after the Battle of Galidraan when they ignited actually, several leading Clans had let their petty disputes boil over and eventually it broke out into full scale civil war when word came of Jango Fett's defeat, with the clans arraying themselves against eachother however they pleased, with neither Sundari nor Keldabe were able to bring them to the negotiating table… Adonai Kryze, _Alor_ of Clan Kryze, saw the writing on the wall and sent his daughter, Satine, to the Core for schooling and her own safety around that time."

Ordo gaped, visibly shocked. _Kal'buir_ had mentioned _nothing_ of this in his lessons to the Nulls despite it being so recent. "How did you get involved then…?"

"After her father was killed on the battlefield, Satine, now de-facto leader of Clan Kryze given most of the men had been killed by that point and her sister had apparently vanished, returned to Mandalorian Space to try and end the feuds once and for all. With her were a pair of Jedi to serve as her bodyguards, myself and my Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, and whom ended up preventing numerous bounty hunters hired by enemy clan leaders from assassinating her…" Obi-Wan remembered fondly, not because of the fighting, but because of his then budding feelings for Satine.

He may have moved beyond them, but he hadn't _entirely_ gotten over them.

Ordo felt his anger spike, the _hut'uune_ started a civil war and then had the gall to hire_ beroyae _to do their dirty work because they couldn't be bothered!?

What happened to the Mandalorian unity _Kal'buir_ preached about!? Even accounting for the split caused by Death Watch this…

Ordo exhaled softly, letting his clenched hand fall open. "What was it like?" He asked.

Obi-Wan closed his eyes and rubbed his chin. "It… It was Chaos at times, often we were forced off Mandalore briefly due to the threat becoming more than what we could handle but when we _were_ onworld we bore witness to the devastation wrought by the Clan Wars… You may find it hard to believe but at one time, Satine was as hard and true a Mandalorian as any warrior. But after seeing the devastation, the senseless death caused by meaningless bloodfeuds that had brewed for millennia, the noncombatants caught in the crossfire with little care for their lives, it changed her… There was nothing glorious or just about those battles, no overt threat to be struck down or honor to be won, it was a bunch of petty men and women who were _ori'buyce, kih'kovid_."

This second use of _Mando'a_ wasn't lost on Ordo, it meant that at the least, General Kenobi was somewhat fluent in the language.

Likely due to his work during the Clan Wars.

Still, he kept his silence, churning over that information. "How'd they end?"

"As many wars such as those do… When the people grew tired of the pointless fighting and came to speak rather than to point blasters at one another. Most _Mando'ade_ swore off fighting altogether, those whom refused to abandon the old ways of conquest were expelled from Mandalore while others whom refused to switch to pacifism, specifically those who followed the Supercommando Codex pioneered by Jaster Mereel, were allowed to cluster around the neutral zones near Keldabe to live their lives with the option of being warriors for hire, partially because Satine wished to avoid alienating them and increase the possibility of future violence but also because they _helped_ expel the radicals from the planet. Though certain officials _have_ attempted to evict them as well; to little avail given their inability to enforce such measures without soldiers of their own. Most however, as I said, chose the New Mandalorian ideals of peace." Obi-Wan explained candidly, though still curious as to why Ordo wished to know.

Ordo looked down, the situation in Mandalorian Space was _far_ more complicated than _Kal'buir_ led them to believe. Still… Better to get another opinion on the matter before making up his mind on when to confront his _buir_ about the information he'd left out.

He'd made that mistake before by believing Kal's words regarding the 'glorious warriors of Mandalore' without question, it was clear as day to Ordo now that his _buir_ was looking at their history through a tinted visor.

And he knew just _who_ to get said opinion from.

"Thank you…" Ordo said flatly as he turned to go, leaving a somewhat confused Obi-Wan in his wake.

"I wonder what _that_ could've been about?" The Jedi mused to himself.

* * *

Kelia yelped as her door slid open suddenly. "C… Captain Ordo?" She stuttered in surprise as he slumped into the chair opposite hers after closing the door, nearly dropping her cup of caf in the process.

"Captain…" He inhaled before exhaling harshly. "I want you to tell me what your Clan thought of the Great Clan Wars."

The Bothan blinked in surprise after calming her nerves. "Where'd _this_ come from?"

"I got a bit of a history lesson from General Kenobi… One my _buir_ neglected to give me…"

Kelia's expression turned serious. "I see… By the way? Is...?"

"Trooper outside is fine, I just told him I wanted to talk…" Ordo assured her.

He'd never hurt another Clone unless said Clone gave him no choice in the matter, he was in control of his emotions at least _that_ much.

"Right, sorry… So, you want my opinions on the Clan Wars then…"

"Yes." Ordo said plainly.

She exhaled. "They were an utter waste of good _tal_ and _beskar_… So many dead, so many cities devastated and material lost to the wastes and void and for what? _Nothing_… It was the culmination of Mandalorian _hubris_, even more so than the arrogance and refusal to accede to a peaceful solution that instigated the _Dral'Han_. The Mandalorian people are _better _than that, but they allowed themselves to wallow in self-pity and old feuds rather than unite and try to make things better, to try and avoid the mistakes of the past! Even if that meant working _with_ the Republic. My clan watching from the sidelines back on Bothawui did little, partially out of childish spite, but I remember the endless debates I heard among our elders as a little girl shortly after the Wars ended, about whether we should've intervened and _did_ something, acted as mediators to try and resolve the disputes given our heritage and political acumen. Some even wished to use it as leverage to head back to Mandalorian space…"

Kelia paused to take a breath before she continued. "Ultimately it came down to the exact same thing for why the Wars started, the _Mando'ade_ lacked someone with the _will_ and _desire _to bring the Clans together, and ultimately, for all her faults and naivety in the belief that Mandalore no longer needed warriors… It was_ Satine_ did so, in the process becoming Mandalore the Conciliator, and ended the senseless infighting that killed over _seventy percent_ of Mandalore's population because the warriors didn't give a damn about anything beyond their own petty _osik_."

Ordo felt a bit sick regarding the statistic, which is probably why _Kal'buir_ didn't bring it up, at all. "And your feelings about _her _specifically?"

She shrugged, indifferent to Satine. "Love or hate her… She stopped Mandalorian culture from likely _destroying itself_ until the only meaningful vestiges of it that would have remained were a bunch of bitter and jilted Bothans still angry over events from centuries ago, any other large groups outside Mandalorian space who still adhered to the _Resol'nare_ in some form or another, and whatever random _Mando'ade_ were plying the starlanes… _Mando'ade_ may take pride in being warriors, but that's not all they have to be, farmers, doctors, artists, craftsmen, and others who follow trades rather than combat roles are just as vital to a society as soldiers, and all too often the clans didn't see it that way, sidelining their voices in meetings... And look what happened."

Ordo nodded softly, it was a lot for him to digest, but he was grateful to have heard it. "Thank you for telling me… Been bugging me since I heard about it." He said earnestly.

Kelia nodded back at him as she sipped her caf. "By the way… I've been meaning to ask… Sergeant Sabre came to me a couple days back, saying the men were getting antsy about you being aboard given your reputation back on Kamino…"

Ordo looked down in shame. "I'm aware, had a run in with an angry _vod_ not long after I left your office regarding a horrendous error in judgement my brothers and I made that we were never told about. In hindsight I'm not proud of what I did… Especially that…" He trailed off, remembering the mistake he and his fellow Nulls had made that permanently damaged relations with their _vode_.

"Then tell them that… Tell as many of them that as you can…" She suggested. "Because those wounds aren't going away by doing nothing." The Bothan said pointedly.

The Null ARC nodded. "I will… Just… Not easy for me to apologize… Not exactly my mindset."

Kelia nodded with a sad smile. "Owning up to one's mistakes is never easy… Kark if I know how I'll explain to my daughter when she grows up as to why I was missing for a substantial part of the first year of her life… To say nothing of why I'd be routinely gone for the rest of such a formative period in her life." She admitted guiltily. "All I can do is hope she'll understand, even if she doesn't forgive me fully… Just do it one step at a time…"

Ordo smiled softly. "Yeah, I guess so."

It wasn't the confession he'd been agonizing about for days… But doing this would probably be a big help towards putting his mind at ease.

And maybe… It would help him when he confronted _Kal'buir_ about this.

If he ever mustered the courage to do so.

"Caf?" She asked, bringing him out of his thoughts as she offered him the pot.

"I'll pass."

She shrugged nonchalantly and poured herself another mug, based on the bags under her eyes it was clear she'd been up a bit too long trying to coordinate the unification of the squadron and figure out who the kark was in charge.

"What's your opinion on the Jedi by the way?"

Kelia tapped her chin. "Well, Skywalker and Kenobi are in a bit over their heads when it comes to military command, but so is practically everyone… Nobody's fought a full-scale Galactic War in a thousand years… But the Jedi only intermittently fought as military leadership during the Old Re-."

"Let me clarify." Ordo said, stopping her. "I meant, what's your opinion on how they treat their men."

Kelia nodded. "Well, both tend to lead from the front where necessary, putting themselves in the line of fire… As for how they treat their men _out _of combat, they ask for the opinions of Clones under their command regarding tactics and military operations given the latter are more extensively trained… I've also asked both of them about how they feel about the Clones being listed as property…"

The Bothan paused before continuing. "Kenobi admitted it was jarring but that the Council was doing all it could to convince the Republic Military to re-list the Clones as personnel, which is apparently running into roadblocks from the new Kaminoan Senator, still, few on their end are all that comfortable commanding an army that's effectively enslaved, or an army that they supposedly ordered but never knew of… And Skywalker…"

Ordo leaned in slightly. Finding that tidbit interesting, he and _Kal'buir_ always assumed that the Jedi Council knew the Clone Army existed the entire time given how the Kaminoans prattled on about Sifo-Dyas saying he would inform the council, which meant that the entire situation was shoved into their face before they had time to think about it, and the ramifications of what they were doing.

By the time they were thrust into command roles they weren't fit for, the shooting had already started and there was no turning back. Nor time to stop and think.

But that brought up a nagging question, why didn't Sifo-Dyas inform the Order?

He'd have to talk to Kenobi about that one, but do so in a way that naturally led to the question coming up so as not to arouse undue suspicion.

That and find a way to make Senator Burtoni's life a living hell without harming her.

Kriffing aiwhabait.

Kelia sighed through her teeth as she continued. "Skywalker didn't say much… Just scowled and walked away while muttering about the Republic being hypocritical… Given his history I can understand why…"

"And what about his history would cause that?" Ordo asked, curious.

She looked away, wondering if she should tell him before deciding. "Commander Skywalker… Was born into slavery… And was freed by a Jedi Master, Qui-Gon Jinn if I remember correctly, around the time of the Battle of Naboo. So you can guess how he feels about it from that alone."

Well… That was a bombshell to drop, which did make some sense given Skywalker's connection to Kenobi. "I see…" Ordo whispered.

"Anything else you want to talk about?" She inquired, tilting her head slightly.

He shook his head as he stood up. "Maybe later, I'm pretty sure you have flimsiwork to get back to."

And with that he walked out.

Kelia looked down at the stack of flimsiplast sheets on her desk and groaned.

* * *

**13:6:22 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Lianna System, Allied Tion Sector, Tion Cluster.**

Anakin busily worked on his standard Jedi-use Delta-7 _Aethersprite_, tinkering with the craft after helping a group of Clone Flight Crewers fix up a rather troublesome V-19 Torrent's wing folding mechanisms.

Said Clones had immediately gone to help their brothers with a project involving a few of the gunships, Anakin didn't know what, but apparently it involved a lot of paint.

Back on the subject of his fighter, it wasn't the _Azure Angel_. But it'd do for now.

Maybe in the near future he'd get one of the new Delta-7Bs that were starting to replace the older Delta-7s and 7As, the latter of which were primarily used by non-Jedi and therefore featured R3-D astromechs for enhanced targeting due to the handling quirks of the craft meaning it was difficult for non-Jedi pilots to remain on target with the laser cannons otherwise.

Over his shoulder, he heard the patter of soft bootfalls stop behind him just before someone handed him a multitool.

"Need this?" Kelia asked as Anakin took the device from her, the Bothan sitting down on a caster fitted stool nearby afterwards.

"I appreciate it, saves me the time of having to borrow one from the Flight Crew." Anakin thanked her.

She glanced out the mag-sealed hangar opening to watch a squadron of _Cord_-class starfighters detach from ceiling racks and launch from a hangar on the other side of the flight strip for their Combat Vacuum Patrol, crossing her legs as she did so. "So, how you holding up?" She asked.

"The men getting antsy?"

"Not just them, Ielec has been droning in my ear half the time so I've assigned her to keep an eye on things in the infantry departments… And so she doesn't eat too much, the glutton..." Kelia muttered with some exasperation. "The Commandos are nearing their limit too, hell we've had to bail Scorch out of the brig _seven_ times for being caught fiddling with the target skeet, supposedly to make them cause more 'impressive' explosions when shot by our gunners and pilots. Chief Gunnery Officer Lockon isn't exactly fond of those mods given the volatility of the compounds he was trying to use." Kelia explained with a sigh. "Not to mention the tensions between the rank and file and Captain Ordo. Which, to his credit, he's managing to smooth over as best he can, but they're not going to change opinions held for half a decade overnight."

"I suppose not everyone has Obi-Wan's patience." Anakin chuckled as his R4-P unit chittered and whiddled away from where it was hard-wired into the Delta-7. "Yeah, yeah, I'm working on the linkages Arfour. Just calm your circuits."

The droid blatted indignantly, causing Kelia to giggle. "So, where are we heading next on our jaunt into the Thanium Sector after this stopover?" He asked after finishing up with some wiring that needed some adjustment.

"Probably somewhere near Rhen Var, we'll be monitoring traffic there for the next two weeks or so to keep the listening post there secure given the proximity to Felucia and Raxus. Don't ask why, just expect to be bored out of your mind."

"I'll probably pass the time tinkering on my arm then when I'm not on patrol of performing maintenance, want something a bit bulkier to replace it." Anakin said nonchalantly as he slid the glove on his right forearm off, revealing a gold colored and rather thin cybernetic arm underneath. "It works well for a rush job though." He said as he flexed the fingers a bit.

Kelia felt a bit sick, her blond fur rippling in discomfort. "How…"

Anakin looked away. "Since Geonosis…" He said calmly as he put the glove back on and latched it up.

"Was at an explosion?"

"No… _Dooku_… I got arrogant in a duel and he cleaved my forearm clean off… Obi-Wan didn't last much longer and if it weren't for Master Yoda I'd probably be dead right now." Anakin said after a few moments, clenching his cybernetic hand softly.

Kelia couldn't imagine what it must've been like to lose a limb, a few of her clanmates had suffered injuries in military accidents that required some cybernetics, but nothing from combat.

"So, why did we stop here anyways?" Anakin asked as he worked on tightening a mounting bolt for a laser cannon power supply conduit that hadn't been properly tightened when the fighter was still in the Temple's hangar. "The fleet is at full strength now, so I don't see why we had a reason to."

"RSS wants us to take out three heavy cruiser prototypes for combat testing… What were they called again… _Justifier_-class I think, or maybe _Vindicator_? Not much elegance to them though, big six-hundred-meter long arrowheads with almost completely flat bridge towers and engines embedded into the rear of the hull. Then again, elegance isn't exactly the most pragmatic of design philosophies." She conceded with a shrug.

"Maybe, but based on what you said, they sound like they're a step up from the old _Dreadnaughts_ given the amount of issues that class boasts." Anakin replied before an idea came to mind as he finished up his tinkering with the Delta-7's laser cannons and closed up the access panel. "Say, you wanna go get something to eat? I think they're serving something decent in the level seven Officers Lounge for once. Which means we should get there before the men pick over everything Ielec hasn't."

She shrugged. "Maybe…"

Her stomach made a growl audible over the din of the hangar, causing her facial fur to tinge orange even as she shifted her cap's brim so that it was covering more than just her bangs. "On second thought, yeah… Sounds good…" The flustered Bothan muttered even as Anakin chuckled at her expense.

* * *

Kursk and Tecs both hummed softly as they looked over a set of flimsiplast sheets depicting the outline of a set of custom marked Clone Trooper armor, fitted with both pauldrons and _kama_ in addition to a visor shroud much like that worn by Commander Fox of the Coruscant Guard.

"You sure we're allowed to do this Tecs?" Kursk inquired as he leaned against the wall of his office.

"Nothing in the regs against unit markings, Kaminoans just liked visual order a bit too much to let us do it back on Kamino." The Major replied to the 608th's Regimental Commander.

"Makes you wonder why they never put in a unique color for Majors then."

"You think_ I_ know what the aiwhabait were thinking? Kursk, you wound me." Tecs joked. "Think the Captain will sign off on this?" He said, serious this time.

"Don't know why she wouldn't, the men haven't exactly had the highest morale after the beating we took at Muunilinst to draw the heat off the Commandos. And we're still trying to figure out how to properly organize the vehicle holds to fit all our equipment to boot. Plus I want to show her how much we appreciate her."

"How many holds does this ship even have?" Tecs asked.

"Hell if I know, but apparently the Flight I _Venators_ have just a bit more depth and width to their hulls than the new Flight IIs to allow for more storage space, armor, and weaponry. The removal of that extra mass probably just makes the latter easier to produce."

"That doesn't make sense, wouldn't it be better to just produce more Flight Is then?"

"You act like most _Venators_ will carry a full load of starfighters and a full ground complement at all times, numbers are gonna start getting stretched harder and harder as this war goes on and the Republic puts more and more new warships into service to cover all the fronts that pop up. In this case it makes more sense to use a lower mass craft, which can be equipped with loadouts on a per mission basis."

Tecs shrugged. "Fair enough _ner vod_... What about the designs... Think we could change anything?"

"Don't plan on outing any of us officers with special markings for us, but those who want to can adapt it within reason."

"Sounds good. I'll go disseminate it through the _vode_ when you're done finalizing the marking scheme."

Right then.

And with that, Tecs left the office, leaving Kursk to his work.

* * *

**13:6:31 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Draukyze System, Thanium Sector, Tion Cluster.**

Kelia closed her eyes and resisted the urge to groan, everyone was starting to lose their kriffing minds from boredom, and the ship had next to no rec facilities beyond gyms installed because command had kept dithering on her requests under the assumption the _Kestrel_ would be permanently attached to the home fleet and thus crew rotations planetside would be available.

She'd probably shove her boot up the _shebs_ of the moron thought that would remain a constant.

That said, the Clones had decided to get more _creative_ to bide their time, and with her begrudging assent they'd started up a boxing arena.

Naturally she'd vehemently opposed them beating eachother to death, to the point she ordered security to stun blast anyone who went too far.

She still had mixed feelings on the whole thing, but there was little she could do to stop it from happening, so it was best to regulate it instead of finding out from the medical staff that the men were blatantly disobeying orders.

Pricer, sitting at the comms station, shot up in alarm, interrupting her line of thought. "Sir!"

Kelia looked down into the crew pit on her right. "What is it?"

"General Kenobi and Commander Skywalker report multiple CIS warships en-route to the Rhen Var system!"

"Numbers?"

"Six _Lucrehulks_, nine _Captors_, one _Providence_, eighteen _Munificents_, six _Dreadnaughts_, nine _Grandcells_, twenty-one C-9949s, three DH-Omnis, twelve _Hammers_, nine _Unstintings_, nine _Lupuses_, six _Recusants_, three core ships, and a plethora of XT Beetle transports, _Diamond_-class cruisers,VACs, _Hardcells_, and TF Superfreighters according to their telemetry!" The Clone reported.

Kelia frowned. Against that they hade three _Venators_, four _Gladiators_, three _Velites_, eight _Acclamators_, six _Peltas_, twelve _Arquitens_, the three prototype Sienar heavy cruisers, six _Carracks_ outfitted as anti-fighter craft, fifteen _Consulars_ fitted with Charger c70 suits, nine _Consular_ Light Attack Cruisers rebuilt with Sentinel c20 suites, nine CSS-1s fitted with Patroller c15 retrofits, and a mixed bag of eleven CR90s and DP20s.

They could hold that attack force off long enough, but Lianna and Lantilles might not think the planet was important enough to relieve…

So an evacuation was in order.

"Price! Send an order to the fleet, we're going to cover the evacuation of our installations on Rhen Var!" She barked at him, the Clone nodding and opening a channel. "Navigation, plot the fastest course to the Tobali system and prepare to transfer the route to the fleet! Perth! Sound general quarters and send all hands to their battle stations!"

She barely heard the Clones acknowledge her over the din of the sirens flaring to life.

* * *

Down in the mess hall, in the midst of a conversation with some Clones who were slowly warming up to him, Ordo tensed as he heard the unforgettable whoops of the _Kestrel's_ alarms blared, his _vode_ shooting to their feet and rushing to their assigned stations.

For once, Ordo suddenly found himself at a loss.

He had no kriffing idea what he should be doing, _Kal'buir_ had never intended for the Nulls to be operating alongside regular forces like this and thus he'd never been trained to react in such a situation unless he had a role to play.

But he didn't, he had no task beyond 'observing Delta Squad in the field', which was really their Advisor's job and more of an _excuse_ for him to be aboard.

Ordo clenched his fist, whispering a curse under his breath. Looks like he was going to have to spend some time with Vau's boys then.

Getting up, Ordo put on his helmet and headed towards the briefing room being used by the Commandos, careful to avoid running into any of the others rushing about through the corridors.

* * *

**13:6:31 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Tobali System, Thanium Sector, Tion Cluster.**

The _Kestrel_ and her taskforce left hyperspace near Rhen Var, the icy sphere glinting blue white in the dim reflected light of its star.

Kelia frowned, they were too late…

Already C-9969 and C-9979 landing craft, backed by dozens of VACs, XT Beetle Transports, _Diamonds_, TF superfreighters, MTT-like TF Troop Transports, and slug-shaped TF dropships in addition to the three core ships.

Waves of Condor and Vulture droids alongside Hyena and Jackal bombers and Mechanized Attack Flyers escorted the landing ships down to the planetary surface.

Of more pertinent concern to the fleet was the combat force forming a screen between them and the transports.

Kelia snarled. "Tell hangar control to open main doors. Launch all combat ready gunships and fighters, send four fighter squadrons and every bomber squadron from each _Venator _to cover the evacuation! Other ships are to dispatch their squadrons as needed!"

"Sir, what about the rest of the fleet? Her XO asked.

She sighed and clasped her hands behind herself. "Our objectives are to evacuate Bravo Base; we lack the firepower to defeat the enemy forces here, and in any case the CIS will likely send additional ships from elsewhere in the Tion if we dither too long or _somehow _manage to defeat the invasion force. They've invested too much into this to be defeated so readily by our taskforce."

"Sir." Perth acknowledged.

"All warships, prepare to salvo torpedoes, target enemy screening force, fire on command. Weapons, divert power from lateral turbos to dorsal and ventral turbos and increase power to point defense systems and shields. Set main guns to power setting four. Load forward torpedo tubes and prepare to fire on my mark." The Bothan instructed as she looked down at one of the crewers in the bridge pit to her left.

"Sir!" The clone replied before he repeated her orders to the combat control center.

"Maybe they should promote you to Commodore, sir… You are the one giving orders by virtue of being aboard the flagship." Perth suggested from her side.

"Not my call Perth." Kelia replied dismissively as she rubbed the bottom of her muzzle. "Not my call… Anyways, order the corvettes into a defensive screen and prepare all tubes for followup salvos." She instructed, flicking her right hand forwards to point out the viewport

* * *

**13:6:31 GrS.**

**CSS **_**Underwritten Investment**_**, Tobali System, Thanium Sector, Tion Cluster.**

Tactical Droid TZ-23, one of the first of his line and thus painted in a resplendent CIS blue and white with Separatist markings on his torso to celebrate the new achievement in droid capabilities, stared out the main _Investment's_ forward bridge viewports towards the Republic fleet that had just left hyperspace.

If the droid could've felt annoyance that General Tann was heading down to the surface to command the forces capturing the Jedi Monument personally rather than directing the fleet, it would've.

"Sir! Enemy warships are moving into battle formation, what do we do?" The OOM series Command Pilot Droid standing next to him inquired.

"Has the enemy flagship been identified?" The Tactical Droid droned at his subordinate, the dull pitch of his vocabulator in severe contrast to the B1s and OOMs around him.

"Yes sir, IFF places it as the Star Destroyer _Kestrel_, which was last seen escaping Hypori." The other Droid replied, its tinny high-pitched voice echoing over the bridge.

"That vessel was also at Muunilinst, recovered telemetry from the battle combined with Republic propaganda indicates the vessel's commanding officer, Kelia Los'ean, is an adept tactician and was responsible for the maneuver that destroyed the defensive fleet over the planet, I shall not make the same mistake in underestimating the assault ships they have brought." The Droid stated. "Deploy fighters and corvettes to screen our main force over as wide an area as possible, spread the missile frigates out for interception tasking, broadcast ECM, and prepare shipboard anti-torpedo defenses." TZ-23 ordered after a moment. "Move quickly, enemy attack will begin in approximately three minutes according to my calculations, without these measures we will suffer critical damage to our forces from their initial salvos."

"Roger Roger." The OOM unit replied before striding over to a console to observe as rank and file pilot droids input orders from around the bridge, which would be relayed through the ship's computer to the crew and the local battle network to the rest of the fleet.

TZ-23 clasped its manipulators behind its back, mirroring Kelia's own stance aboard the bridge of her own vessel.

"Your move, Republic Dogs." The Tactical Droid sneered as it waited for the opposing fleet to begin the inevitable space battle.

At the three minute countdown mark, as predicted, the Republic fleet unleashed a massive torpedo salvo from its cruisers, assault ships, and Star Destroyers, followed by waves of fighters, bombers, interceptors, and gunships launching from their hangers en-masse, many turning to head down towards the planet's surface while the rest moved to cover the fleet from attack.

"Now, we shall see if the Republic can produce a tactician more adept than the finest processors and software Baktoid Combat Automata has yet developed." The droid intoned smugly.

* * *

**AN: And thus, the Dark Reaper Crisis begins.**

**Naturally the placement of the Separatist Capitol in the Raxus system brings up some major long-term issues, of course the Republic would probably just run rather than risk CIS reinforcements cutting them off in system.**

**Of another note is that among the issues in the Young Boba novels, Raxus Prime is somewhere close to Bespin rather than being in the Tion Cluster, an egregious error by any standard.**

**Oh, and the only reason Ordo is even aware of the Sith is because of Kal, whom knows them largely thanks to Mandalorian History being unable to be effectively scrubbed of them by the Jedi Shadows.**

**Also that little doctrine of theirs is ultimately what allowed Palpatine to take over more easily than he would have otherwise, because without Republic logs of Sith crimes against civilization it would be far easier for him to paint the Jedi attempt on his life as an act of religious persecution should his status as a Sith become common knowledge.**

**Palpatine had a _lot_ of contingency plans in the leadup to the rise of the Empire, to do otherwise would mean failure.**

**Wouldn't surprise me if he'd had Clone bodies prepared on Byss even back then in the event someone _actually_ managed to assassinate him or he suffered an accident, so he could return and claim that a body double had been killed instead and citing the dangers of the times for why he was using them, with Sidious later using them for a Dark Empire style return during the Imperial era in the event his designs for immortality failed to yield tangible results and he was killed by an usurper.**


	11. Darkness Rising: Evacuation of Rhen Var

**AN: Chapter 11, ready to go.**

* * *

**_"Rhen Var... We didn't think much of it at the time, it was odd that the CIS focused so many troops on an extreme backwater like that yeah, a few battalions sure, but an invasion army of the kind that you'd need just to create beachheads on a decently populated mid-rim world? That was overkill on a grand scale. It wasn't until it was almost too late that we realized the_ real_ importance of that planet."_****-IC-1138, interview conducted post-war.**

* * *

**13:6:31 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Tobali System, Thanium Sector, Tion Cluster.**

"Well… That didn't go as planned…" Kelia snarled, having watched the CIS intercept many of their torpedoes and missiles well before impact.

Nonetheless, three _Munificents_, a _Recusant_, thirteen escorts, two _Lupuses_, and one of the _Grandcells_ were out of the fight. With both sides now hammering eachother with turbolasers and doing the real meat of the damage.

Especially given the heavy bow turbos on the _Recusants_ and _Munificents_, the latter of which had weapons capable of piercing the shields of one of the new Grade III battle stations at max output. Much to the Republic's chagrin.

And those things were ten _kilometers_ wide and boasted better defenses than her _Venator_.

Worse still were the massive swarm of droid fighters and bombers roaring their way.

"All hands, brace for incoming fire, put damage control on high alert!" She ordered. "Reinforce power to the forward shields! All ships are to focus those destroyers and star frigates down first, their armor is nearly worthless at this angle once their shields are gone! Vector our interceptors and fighters to whittle down those bombers and their escorts!"

This whole Captain and improv fleet command thing wasn't working as well as someone might think it would, she couldn't command both the task force and her own vessel effectively, unlike a droid, and the fleet was still horribly outmatched.

Kelia could only hope that the battle on the surface was going well enough in comparison.

* * *

**13:6:31 GrS.**

**Rhen Var, Tobali System, Thanium Sector, Tion Cluster.**

Fixer felt the biting chill of Rhen Var's atmosphere even through the gunship's sealed hull _and_ his Katarn armor's insulated body glove as the craft descended.

Much like on Geonosis, Delta Squad was being inserted on four separate gunships, each with a pair of regulars to back them up.

Although this time, their objective was to help coordinate the evacuation of Bravo Base.

And it was already going poorly given the amount of distress calls filtering over the channels.

["Approaching long-range monitoring station Aurek, standby."] The pilot reported as the gunport slits in the troop bay doors opened up, allowing the Fixer to see outside.

Nothing but blinding white punctuated by flashes of red and blue laserfire.

["Opening troop bay doors."] The pilot announced as the doors themselves slid open.

Now Fixer could actually _see_.

And it didn't look good.

Station Aurek was being pounded by a company of twelve AATs backed by a platoon of four homing spider droids even as a battalion of infantry droids advanced on the facility under the cover fire provided by the armor.

As one of the furthest facilities out from the base, it had been isolated and unable to receive supporting aid from the main base.

It had nonetheless put up a hell of a fight, as the crashed droid fighters and bombers, scores of downed infantry battle droids, burnt out STAP wreckage, and groupings of wrecked GAT fighter tanks, NR-N99 Snail Tanks and IG-227 Hailfires attested to.

Odd, much higher kill ratio than he'd expected from a relatively isolated facility like this.

The main antennas and analysis centers were trashed, the barracks had been shot up, and the admin and mess facilities were in flames, the disabled gun towers billowed acrid black smoke into the sky or had their cannons pointing down at the surface below due to lack of power, the station's main power generator was half melted from an overload, watchtowers had been toppled, perimeter walls and pillboxes reduced to frozen rubble, and the landing platform was cratered to hell and back.

He keyed his comms. "Advisor, this is Delta Four-Oh, requesting airstrike on CIS units near Station Aurek, danger close, possible friendlies in the area, marking targets now." He stated calmly as he pulled out a designator and illuminated the main body of droid tanks as the LAAT circled unmolested.

["Roger that Delta Four-Oh, Blaze Squadron has bombers moving to engage."] Delta Squad's advisor, still on the _Kestrel_, replied.

Six BTL-A2 Y-Wings, escorted by a flight of Torrents, roared in, releasing their deadly proton bombs towards the CIS lines just as one of the droid tank commanders noticed them and frantically pointed at the bombers whilst simultaneously shouting at the droids around it and trying to get its own vehicle's turret around and aiming at the Y-Wings.

The munitions impacted, wiping out most of the tanks and infantry droids caught in the line of explosions, allowing Fixer's gunship to engage the survivors.

He felt the mass driver launchers shake the gunship's frame as they sent missiles streaking towards the Spider Droids, which punctured their spherical main bodies and set off their reactors, sending the thin legs of the machines flinging away from the force of the explosions.

The chatter of the gunship's chin laser cannons and the buzz of the composite beam turrets scything through the remaining ground forces filled his ears as the craft wheeled about for another pass.

Then the gunship touched down, another pair of craft hovering overhead to provide cover as a fourth landed nearby and disgorged three Clones.

Fixer and the two Clone Snowtroopers behind him leapt off the transport and rushed into the flaming ruins even as their gunship lifted off and promptly opened fire on a column of approaching battle droids and Snail Tanks with its weapons, joining the other three in suppressing the enemy reinforcements.

The Commando checked his lifeform sensors, picking up a few faint readings near the barracks and some massed near the motor pool.

They were the only ones he picked up, much to his chagrin, the dozens of bodies lying about indicated that the droids had sent STAPs through to gun down most of the survivors as they tried to regroup.

And those were the ones that hadn't been incinerated or blown apart by artillery fire.

"Wez, Ple, you're with me! The rest of you, get to the motor pool and search for survivors!" He instructed to the regulars whom nodded and split up as they rushed towards the general location of the survivors, the Commando pushing past the blown out door to the barracks and glancing around the structure's interior.

Dead Clones, some still having been putting on their cold weather armor when they were killed by the bombardment, were littered about the building alongside nonclone Republic personnel, mostly officers and members of the volunteer corps alongside some PSFs from the Tion cluster.

Fixer stepped over a leg that had been severed by artillery fire as he picked through the wreckage with the two troopers, moving carefully to avoid slipping in still freezing blood pooling from uncauterized wounds.

He heard a click and spun to face a doorway, turning to find seven survivors from the station's personnel, a male lethan Twi'lek, two male humans, a female Duros, and three Clones, all huddled together in a bunkroom behind improvised barricades.

"Hold your fire! It's a Commando!" One of the Clones shouted with joy.

The survivors lowered their blasters and peered out from behind their admittedly pathetic excuses for cover as Fixer strode into the room. "We're evacuating everyone from the planet, are you all the only survivors from here?" He asked.

They each nodded solemnly before one of the Clones, a turret gunner, suddenly spoke up. "Wait! The main generator control room! I saw someone go back inside to shut it down!" He shouted.

Fixer nodded, it explained why the unit hadn't exploded after the CIS destroyed its cooling systems.

And why he hadn't detected the possible survivor, the radiation from the generator would've interfered with the lifeform sensors on a cursory sweep.

He turned to the two Clone Snowtroopers from the 608th. "Whez, Ple, get them back to the gunship. I'll go search for the remaining survivor, hopefully they're still alive."

They both nodded, Fixer turning and running out of the barracks, DC-17m at ready.

Outside, fighters, bombers, and gunships twisted through the snowfall above in their deadly airborne dances.

* * *

Ulric grimaced as his V-19 was gently buffeted by the snowstorm.

Though by arctic world standards Rhen Var was positively balmy, he still didn't like the weather.

Rolling about, he slotted in behind a pair Vultures that were angling for a shot on a pair of gunships that were frantically firing away with their tailguns at the droid fighters, unable to evade effectively due to their heavily loaded troop bays.

Hammering his firing stubs, he watched blue laser bolts scythe through one of the Vultures, a detonation blowing it and half and sending both chunks augering into the ruins of some ancient structure below, a pair of small explosions announcing the machine's fate.

Locking on to the second fighter, which hadn't deviated from its course, being a stupid droid and all, he fired again, blowing it into fragments before rolling about as a Condor Droid slipped onto his tail and opened fire, narrowly avoiding the incoming streams of fire from its laser cannons.

Lot of beings claimed that Droid Fighters were generally better than their organic piloted counterparts.

Ulric snorted, that was only if they had _decent _hardware and software.

Vultures were absolute trash in small numbers thanks to Neimoidian credit-pinching and flew predictable courses, their wing mounted blaster cannons had a high rate of fire but low maximum power output while the two energy torpedo launchers on the central 'frame' of the machine had a far greater punch, but were of much lower utility due to their low rate of fire.

It was only in squadron sized and larger swarms that they became _truly_ dangerous, those disadvantages disappearing when dozens of fighters were maneuvering in perfect concert and blazing away at their targets with all weapons to form a deadly web of blasterfire that was nearly impossible for non-Jedi to avoid.

The Condors were different, boasting more advanced software and processors to utilize it, in addition to more powerful laser cannons, they were _almost _a match for a trained Clone Pilot one on one.

Almost.

But certainly_ not_ for a Jedi.

The Condor burst into flames and broke apart as it spiraled from the sky courtesy of a hail of blue laser bolts ripping into it as a Delta-7 shot upwards from below before banking and streaking off into the distance to aid another group of Republic fightercraft that were struggling with the ever-increasing number of droid fighters.

Ulric breathed a sigh of relief as he watched Anakin fly off before spotting his element lead being harassed by a trio of Vultures while engaging a VAC bearing CIS markings and colors moving to cut off a convoy of RTT-04s and MAV-02w Bantha APCs retreating towards Bravo Base by deploying ground units in front of them.

Ulric locked onto the lead fighter and blew it out of the sky, the other two droids stubbornly staying on Grey Three's tail even as Ulric shot the second and then the third down in turn.

"You owe me one Rico." He chuckled mirthfully as formed up with his element lead.

["Maybe you should stick with me and that won't happen."] Rico muttered as he fired a pair of concussion missiles at the cockpit of the blocky VAC, destroying it and effectively decapitating the vessel.

"Well next time don't try to sink your fangs into the first furball you see _ner __vod_." Ulric shot back as he looked over his shoulder and watched the out of control dropship careen out of the sky and slam into a frozen lake, flames bursting from fuel tanks and stored weapons on the vehicles it was carrying in its ventral cargo hold due to the impact, probably AATs or Hailfires given the amount of secondary explosions going off.

Then the immense craft sank into its watery grave after having forced its way through the ice, flows of frozen water settling around it as it slid to the bottom, only the engine pod at the rear of the ship still partially visible above the surface.

A brilliant explosion shook the calming water as the vessel's reactor finally ignited, sending a massive gout of steam blasting into the sky, a pair of Y-Wings banking around it as they headed off to strike another set of targets.

Ulric shook his head as he and Rico climbed towards another pair of VACs that were moving to land additional troops, a third unit already trailing smoke and flame as it suddenly banked hard and collided with a hillside thanks to a pair of LAATs that had hit it with a missile salvo, the dropship bursting into a massive fireball as its reactor went up on impact, flash melting the snow and ice all around the crash zone.

As he brought his fighter around and watched the smoke billow into the sky even as more VACs closed towards the planet's surface, Ulric grimaced.

They_ really_ had their work cut out for them today.

* * *

Fixer picked through the devastated corridors of Aurek Station's power generator control building, keeping a wary eye on his Katarn Armor's radiation sensors.

Looking down, he spotted a trail of somewhat frozen blood, red like most species with iron-based hemoglobin.

Fixer tracked it, trailing the splatter up the stairwell and to the third floor, where he saw it end at the control room for the facility.

His sensors detected a radiation spike as he warily entered, nothing fatal, but not healthy either.

Slumped over the controls was a Bothan, a female based on body structure and his own familiarity with Kelia as a baseline, even if the Captain of the _Kestrel_ was significantly taller and _much_ curvier than the norm due to her winning the jackpot on the genetic lottery according to Scorch.

She was wearing a typical PSF uniform, a more rugged and combat grade version of the famous Cold-Weather pattern he noted while the on her shoulder indicated she was from the Republic's Neutral Worlds Volunteer Corps, a Lance Corporal in the 18th Engineering Brigade to be precise given the chevrons below it.

Probably why she was able to shut the generator down, anyone else aside from an engineer would've struggled to avoid accidentally _blowing it up_.

Rushing over to her, Fixer's helmet sensors scanned her vitals and confirmed she was still alive, albeit barely and unconscious due to blood loss.

That and she'd taken a dose of radiation from the damaged generators.

Pulling out a medical kit, the Commando noted that one wound on her leg was still bleeding and began to put pressure on it, wrapping it with the gauze before using an autosuture kit on a nasty gash on her arm that had already been wrapped up with part of a Clone's bodyglove, likely taken off one of the dead.

Delta didn't have an assigned medic, and while any of their members could easily fill the role as needed, the de-facto one was Fixer.

"This is Delta Four-Oh, found a survivor from the Neutral Worlds Volunteer Corps, need dust-off ASAP by the generator control building at Station Aurek. Survivor is in critical condition due to severe blood loss and possible radiation poisoning." He reported as he injected an anti-radiation drug into a vein in the arm that wasn't torn up before quickly wrapping up that spot with a bandage to prevent bleeding.

["Roger that Delta Four-Oh, I'm vectoring a gunship in now."] Delta Squad's Advisor acknowledged.

Holstering his DC-17m on a mount on his backpack, Fixer carefully picked her up after checking to ensure she didn't have any neck or back injuries.

He'd sling her over his shoulders, but his pack made that a moot point due to the obstructiveness of the communications equipment.

Probably should bring that up at some point during debrief.

The Commando thus used a bridal carry to bring her out of the building, carefully maneuvering her as he did so to avoid slamming her legs or head against doorframes or walls without slowing himself down.

Outside, a gunship touched down with its right-side doors open, a Clone Medic wearing Cold Weather gear waving him aboard after pushing past the _vode_ and nonclones of a variety of species standing aboard the bay.

Fixer hopped aboard and carried her to the medical bay at the front, the spherical IM-5 Battlefield Medical Droid activating and floating over to analyze her wounds as Fixer placed the Bothan on the lower bunk and began to help the Medics with their work as the gunship took off.

* * *

Ordo frowned as the last of the Jedi boarded the gunship he was on, a mixed bag of initiates and support corps members, a trio of non-Jedi Temple Vanguards, an Antarian Ranger, and a human Knight serving as their escort.

He still wasn't that fond of Jedi, but then again, these ones were mostly just kids and rejects…

Like himself.

He found that equal parts sad and funny, that even Jedi could be 'defective' or just unwanted for whatever reason.

Just like the Nulls.

Made him wonder more about whether or not Skywalker really was the Jedi version of himself.

Ordo looked out the door, seeing nobody else coming but another wave of karking droids, which were being harassed by Y-Wings and Torrents as they approached.

The other evacuees were either already gone or were being picked up by other gunships.

"Alright, is that everyone?"

The Knight did a head count before nodding. "Yes, that's everyone in our group, Captain. I appreciate the aid."

Ordo simply nodded back curtly as the gunship lifted off from the landing pad near the local Jedi sanctuary. "Pilot, are we regrouping at Bravo or going starborne?" He asked over comms.

["Your call sir. But droid transports, including C-9979s and C-9989s, just started moving directly towards Bravo Base. General Kenobi and Commander Skywalker are holding off the droids until the last of the cargo gunships, _Kappa_-class shuttles, Larties, AA-9s, and CR20s take off. Should only be a few minutes before the final evacuations are completed."] The gunship's pilot replied.

The Null ARC nodded. "Right, get us to orbit then. No sense in sticking around if the planet is lost." He instructed, watching as volleys of plasma shells from distant HAG mobile artillery units slam into the landing pad and the surrounding structures as the other two gunships lifted clear of the small station near the sanctuary, turning it into rubble even as MTTs backed by AATs and Dwarf Spider Droids bulldozed their way through the snow and ice and began disgorging companies of droids while GAT fighter tanks continued onwards towards Bravo Base itself at high speed, escorted by groups of STAP and Armored Scout Platforms.

What a waste.

["Roger that, sealing her up and pressurizing."] The pilot acknowledged as the doors slammed shut and the ports on them slid closed as they slotted into a formation of gunships and fightercraft heading spaceward, a faint hiss issuing as the gunship pressurized and sealed. ["Seal check… Hull integrity check."]

Another set of hisses issued from the craft before stopping. ["And we're good."]

Ordo nonetheless sealed up his own armor in case of a breach. It'd be horrible to watch the Jedi and Nonclones, particularly the initiates since they were only kids, die as their blood boiled due to a lack of air pressure.

But _Kal'buir_ would _kill_ him if he got vacced.

And better to at least try and keep some of 'em alive in that case rather than die with them.

["We'll exit the atmosphere in three minutes. Grav plates coming online."]

As the gunship soared ever higher, Ordo wondered something.

Why devote such a sizable force to conquering a backwater like Rhen Var? It didn't make sense…

Unless…

Well, he'd have to look up the planet's history in that case.

There was something here the CIS wanted, and if they wanted it _this _badly…

Then the Republic needed to take the planet back, and _fast_.

* * *

Obi-Wan stepped aboard his starfighter, R4-P17 chittering as he did so, and lifted off as the last of the transports soared away from the doomed Bravo Base, the din of droid footfalls clanking all around him almost deafening in its intensity as thousands of infantry droids and dozens of vehicles and vehicle droids converged on the flaming ruins of the base.

Sporadic fire shot up towards him, but a few maneuvers were enough to throw off their aim.

And then he was gone, leaving Rhen Var's surface behind and ascending towards the space battle with the rest of the evacuation force as Bravo Base's generators self-destructed in a brilliant set of fireballs, consuming hundreds of Separatist droids in the conflagration.

A final parting gift from the Republic.

Anakin quickly fell in on his wing, his own Delta-7 a bit more scored than it had been previously, undoubtedly due to enemy fire.

As they breached the atmosphere, he saw the space battle.

And it didn't look like it was going much better.

* * *

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Tobali System, Thanium Sector, Tion Cluster.**

"Keep up the barrage!" Kelia barked as she gestured out the forward viewports, the latest wave of droid fighters had thankfully burned up too much fuel and had to return to their carriers to replace their fuel slugs, giving them an opening. "Helm! Bring us about and open the main hangar bay and both lateral docking bays! Divert additional power to the engines and shields! Navigation, get us a course out of here _yesterday_! Damage Control, I want a status report as soon as its ready!"

The Clones hurriedly kept up with he pace of her orders, everyone reacting on reflex as they worked to get out of the system alive.

The _Kestrel_ came about in concert with the fleet, which left a _Peltas_, six escorts, and an _Arquitens_ behind, the ships dead in space, their escape pods having been recovered by other vessels.

Several of the surviving ships were trailing flame and atmosphere from sections of their hulls as they fled, the capital ships recovering the gunships and remaining bombers and fighters as they returned.

Tense minutes passed as the fleet pulled away from Rhen Var's gravity well while recovering those craft without hyperdrives or whose hyperdrives no longer functioned.

"Alright… Get us out of here…" She breathed.

Stars turned to streaks.

And then they were through.

* * *

**13:6:31 GrS.**

**CSS **_**Underwritten Investment**_**, Tobali System, Thanium Sector, Tion Cluster.**

TZ-23 cocked his head as the Republic fleet fled into hyperspace, one hapless CR90 self-atomizing in an burst of energy as its hyperdrive malfunctioned due to a power surge caused by damage it had taken.

Said burst winked out of existence almost as quickly as it had come into being.

His own forces had suffered substantial, albeit replaceable, losses. Eight of the _Munificents_, four of the _Grandcells_, three _Recusants_, four _Lupuses_ and ninety percent of their escorts were hulked or so badly damaged they were to be scuttled after everything aboard had been offloaded.

Ninety-six percent losses on the first six waves of the fighters and bombers dedicated to attacking the enemy fleet was well above predicted estimates, but nonetheless acceptable given it was a fraction of their overall force of small craft.

The critical components, the flagship, supply vessels, battleships, and carriers, remained intact, though damage on theses assets had been incurred nonetheless.

"Sir! Incoming transmission from General Tann!" A droid manning a comms console reported.

"Put it through." The Tactical Droid ordered.

"Roger Roger." The B1 pilot droid replied before pressing a button on the multifunction screen with its manipulators.

Sev'rance'tann's image flickered into existence on the bridge's central holoprojector, TZ-23 turning to face it. ["The Republic Forces on the surface have been routed and fled the planet, we're mopping up those unfortunate enough to be left behind, what is the status of the space engagement?"]

"The enemy has fled the system. Our own losses are substantial but well within predicted limits, our soon to arrive reinforcements will deter enemy counterattack." He reported.

The Chiss Dark Acolyte nodded. ["Very well then, inform Count Dooku that the operation was a success."]

"By your command." The droid droned as he clasped his manipulators.

* * *

**13:6:31 GrS.**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Hyperspace.**

Fixer watched the wounded Bothan he rescued be hauled off on a stretcher towards the nearest medbay by medical staff alongside dozens of others, ranging from near comatose individuals on litters to walking wounded who required minimal aid.

Glancing at where his brothers were gathering near an AT-TE with their advisor and Ordo, Fixer made a mental note to go check on her later and headed over to where the rest of Delta was for debrief.

* * *

Kelia sighed as Ielec handed her a drink. "Not gonna lie Kel… There's a reason you were the top in our class… Anyone else would've gotten _thrashed _in that engagement because they'd have thought 'turbos first and to hell with anything else'."

The Bothan sighed as she took a sip of Corellian Ale. "You give me too much credit, anyone with enough brains could've come up with such a basic tactic."

"Yeah, and the average Judicial naval officer has the IQ of a Kowakian Monkey Lizard. _You_ came up with that doctrine, not just anyone else. So what if it didn't work as well as last time you used it? You've said _dozens_ of times that adapting to enemy doctrines is part of war." The Twi'lek pointed out. "And that the enemy isn't just going to sit on their fat rears and take it either. Besides, you can still mix it up, make the salvos a second strike when closing with an enemy force or something to keep 'em guessing."

Kelia chuckled softly. "Yeah, I guess so." She conceded as she took another sip. "Still, can't help but wonder… The hell was their objective on Rhen Var? It's not like that was our only listening post in the Tion." The Bothan mused aloud.

Ielec shrugged. "Who knows, but they _had_ to have a reason to send that many troops at it, right?"

"Yeah… And I don't like it…" She muttered. "I don't like it at all."

* * *

**3:4:11 GRS**

**Fey'cara, Kothlis, Kothlis System, Bothan Sector.**

"Listen, Kelia, comeon, we need to stop messing around! KELIA!" Mineth shouted at her friend as pirate fighters buzzed overhead, a pair of old _Jadthu_-class landers descending on the resort area for the plunder to begin.

The blond furred Bothan next to her simply muttered incoherently, trying to comprehend the situation.

"KELIA! SNAP OUT OF IT!" She yelled before slapping the other female, whom barely reacted.

Both were scared out of their minds, they were only _ten_, and now three of their best friends were dead.

Kothlis was supposed to be _safe_.

It was then that Mineth heard something and watched with awe as a Delta-6 Starfighter landed nearby, a Jedi Knight leaping from the cockpit even as it settled on its landing gear and drawing their lightsaber in the process, the brilliant azure blade flaring to life as dozens of Pirates backed away, old ex Trade Federation Hunter-Killer battle droids opening fire on them without hesitation.

Mineth couldn't make out what species or sex they were through the robes and the fact they were looking upon the Jedi from their back, but she had never been more elated in her life as she watched the Jedi cut their way through the pirate forces as they tried to regroup.

"Kelia! Kelia! We're safe, there's a Jedi here!"

It was then that Mineth realized that the mumbling had stopped and turned around.

A sneering Nikto immediately slammed her in the chin with the butt of his rifle before she'd even finished.

She fell, hitting the ground hard.

Then there was a grunt from the man as the dull pang of a blaster going off ran out, Mineth grunting as she felt a body fall atop her.

Faintly, she heard Kelia's voice calling out her name, the other Bothan seemingly having managed to come to her senses and stealing a blaster off the pirate before shooting him.

Then everything went dark.

* * *

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Hyperspace.**

Mineth's eyes shot open and she saw bright light and a Cybot Galactica IM-6 medical droid hovering in front of her, distorted by a red haze as it adjusted something on a console. "Patient Sixty-Six has woken up." The droid hummed in a soft, synthesized, feminine voice as it floated off on its repulsors.

It sounded duller than she'd expected, as if she was hearing it through liquid, but…

Oh.

She belatedly relaized everything was hazy because she was in a _bacta tank_.

A Clone in a white Medical Officer's uniform walked over to her. "Ah, you're stirring… We'll get you out of that tank soon enough. Don't worry." They assured her through the tank's glass.

Oh, that was good… She was on a Republic ship…

She drifted off into unconsciousness again.

* * *

When Mineth awoke again, there was a familiar face standing at her bedside.

"Nice of you to wake up…" Kelia said with a soft smile on her face.

"Uhnnn." She tried to sit up, but an armored hand gently pushed her back down.

"You're in no condition to move right now, your left arm and right leg need extensive healing and you're still awaiting a proper blood transfusion." Fixer said softly, his helmet off as he sat on a chair nearby, showing off his standard Clone haircut. "But you'll be up on your feet in a day or so afterwards."

"Karking stupid of you… But then again you always were a bit more decisive than me." Kelia chuckled as she gently squeezed her friend's hand.

"Kelia…? What…?"

"Let me be the first to welcome you aboard the RSS _Kestrel_. Not the way I would've wanted you to come aboard, but I'll make do with what I get."

Mineth saw the rank badge on Kelia's chest and realized she was staring at a ship Captain.

Fixer had to hold her down so she didn't try to sit up and salute in her fugue.

"Kestrel… That's a corvette… Maybe a frigate right?"

Kelia looked like she was about to laugh. "Think _bigger_."

"Cruiser?"

"Bigger."

"Wait, you're telling me they gave you a _Star Destroyer_?!" Mineth shouted before yelping in pain and clutching her gut.

"Forgot to mention the shrapnel they extracted from your abdomen… Right… Well, on the bright side you're still able to have kids." Kelia assured her.

"Small comforts?" Mineth asked dryly.

"Small comforts." Kelia replied before her ears perked up at the sound of laughter. "Oi! I see you there Ielec! You too Scorch!" She snapped as the Twi'lek eeped and retreated into the hall with the Commando.

She could hear Sev laughing his _shebs_ off in the hall.

"Sir, with all due respect, can I ask you to keep it down?" Yorr told her as he looked up from a wounded Devaronian intelligence officer whom was being treated for a blaster wound to her back by a med droid.

"Right, forgot this was an active medbay… Sorry Yorr."

"No issues, but I don't want it to happen again." The chief doctor replied before turning back to his work.

Mineth muttered. "So, what happened after I passed out on Rhen Var…?"

"Couldn't tell you, I was too busy trying to keep the fleet from being obliterated by long-range fire from enemy heavy turbos. Not the best setup, I might add… Providing tactical input is a _bit_ of a different animal from actually leading a fleet." She admitted. "As for Rhen Var, Fixer here is the one who pulled you out of the metaphorical fire."

Mineth looked over at the Clone Commando, whom nodded curtly. "Delta Four-Oh, but as the Captain said, you can call me Fixer." He said candidly.

"Scorch! I see you peeking! Stop that!"

"Fine then _mom_!" The Commando snarked back as he pulled his head back out of the doorway, leaving Kelia speechless and bright red from embarrassment, skipping the usual orange tinging of her blond fur outright even as her fur bristled.

"Wha…?" Mineth uttered in confusion.

"Scorch likes her, mostly because she laughs at his jokes sometimes, treats him like he's human, and makes sure he doesn't accidentally blow himself, or others, up out of boredom." Fixer informed Mineth.

"I'll make him some cookies at some point then." Kelia remarked dryly as she smoothed the fur on her neck, causing Mineth to giggle in response.

She looked over at Fixer. "So uh, what _did_ happen?"

"I found you unconscious, slumped over the console, provided some basic treatment for what wounds that were a major concern preventing me from moving you, and then carried you out of the building in my arms, since I couldn't fit you over my shoulders due to my backpack's addon equipment." Fixer said as if it wasn't a big deal.

Mineth flushed a bit, her grey fur tinging red. "Ah… Uh… Thank you."

The Commando shrugged. "Just doing my duty ma'am."

Mineth nodded and looked away pensively, Fixer seeming slightly confused at her reactions.

"Well, I think we'll catch up later, right now you just need to rest a bit until the soreness is gone since your wounds are mostly healed." Kelia assured her before heading for the door, making her way around med droids and staff alike with rather graceful footwork. "Anyways, I have a ship to run, so… Yeah, see ya whenever." She said as she waved at Mineth, leaving her and Fixer in the medbay.

Mineth glanced over at the Commando and twiddled her hands in her lap. "So… Uh… Do you have anything to do?"

"Mostly just calibrate my weapons when I have downtime." Fixer said candidly.

The Bothan nodded at him. "Well, if you need any help, I could maybe try to work on something… Not sure if my old unit is even still around after the beating we took on Rhen Var…" She said softly.

It reminded her too much of what happened on Kothlis.

All of it did.

"Say, you're an engineer, right?" He asked, deciding to strike up conversation with someone else whom seemed technically inclined.

Boss didn't care much about technical details, Scorch liked explosions, and Sev…

Sev just liked sniping things.

So it was nice to meet someone who possibly shared his interests.

"Yeah, weapons technician, I helped calibrate, repair, and modify weapons ranging from pistols to heavy artillery in the climate on Rhen Var… I actually managed to improve the defense guns around Station Aurek by forcing them to use their galven coils as radiators during sustained fire, allowing the guns to use Rhen Var's cold atmosphere as a natural heat sink and thus increase power output and rate of fire by a noticeable percentage." She explained. "It's a risky method, since-"

"It's possible to _rapidly_ overheat the guns if the system isn't properly limited." Fixer finished for her.

"Exactly!" The Bothan shouted, earning her a warning glare from Yorr and another of the Clone medical officers. "That's why Station Besh fell so rapidly, because their engineers tried to repeat my modifications but refused to limit the increase in the belief that the guns wouldn't be able to overheat in the cold, I tried to warn them about that but…" She continued before trailing off at the end, quieter this time. "Idiots, all of them..."

Fixer nodded, Sev had been… _Reserved_ when reporting that station Besh had been annihilated before moving on to help Scorch at the local airfield. "You seem to know your stuff. You grow up interested in this?"

"Yeah, I err… Well my parents preferred that I follow in their footsteps and become a singer or a musician… Hence why they picked Mineth for my name, since it means 'musical' in Bothese, and my family's name Lya'wen, doesn't help matters. And well… I'm not exactly a bad singer…" She mused softly. "But I liked tinkering with things _more_, nearly got in trouble with my aunt once when I nearly sliced into classified files on her terminal when I was eight… After finding her datadrives loaded with attack programs of course."

Fixer raised an eyebrow. "Your aunt would have to be intelligence to have those."

"Yeah… Infiltrator actually… One of the few whose identities are publicly known."

That caught Fixer's interest, Bothan Infiltrators were among the, if not _the_, best saboteurs, spies, and assassins in the Galaxy thanks to doctrines and training regimes built up over millennia as the organization actually _predated_ the Spynet due to the corps' origins as the top field agents of the Bothan Martial Intelligence Division. Though the Spynet had plenty of them working for it by now, for _hire_ by their clients if needed.

Such were the requirements to even be considered for the corps that the _Nulls_ had bashed their heads against the metaphorical wall trying to beat _watered down_ examples of the missions Infiltrators had to go through during _initiation_ _training_.

There was no area too guarded, no facility too hidden, no system too secure for them to breach given time and patience.

Even if it took them _months_ to complete a single operation.

But the successes were as numerous as they were legendary, ranging from the destruction of entire _fleets_ to the assassinations of those thought to be untouchable even to the likes of the GenoHaradan. All performed by lone operatives.

There was a reason the Mandalorians referred to them in hushed whispers as _kyr'prudii_.

Death Shadows.

Fixer personally believed that they had to be genetically and surgically enhanced to an insane degree in order to be _that_ capable, on top of being in the top percentile of genetics and fitness, but without an example he had nothing beyond speculation.

"I take it she encouraged this behavior?" Fixer inquired as Mineth nodded in response.

"She taught me everything I know and then some." The Bothan replied as she wrung her hands a bit. "Told me I had a gift with technology and that it'd be wasted on a singing career. She wasn't wrong, machines just… _Speak_ to me… Don't really know how else to describe it."

The Commando cocked his head as Yorr walked over, wondering if she had a weird affinity or possibly some limited force sensitivity as he knew Commander Skywalker had a similar ability to diagnose machinery for issues. "While I'm sure this is a riveting conversation, I'm afraid that we're going to need you to leave, Commando. Nothing against you brother but… The patients need their sleep and I'd rather not drug them if I don't have to." He apologized.

Fixer nodded at him. "I need to report in, anyways. Maybe we could talk more later."

Mineth nodded, a bit eagerly Fixer noted.

He nodded back at her and then strode out.

The Bothan laid back down at Yorr's instruction and laid there as the curtain was drawn around her bed, blocking out much of the light as the illumination lamp over her head went dark.

She smiled softly, there was something about Fixer that was different from the other Clones…

Maybe it was his intellect? Just because each Clone was genetically identically to the others in their batch didn't mean they were all equally intelligent, the mind decided more regarding brainpower than the actual brain did.

Or maybe it was because he saved her? Could be… Made her feel special that a Commando carried her out of a ruined generator control center in a bridal carry.

Her fur rippled and her face flushed at the thought, he probably didn't even know the cultural significance of such an act given his upbringing, as it was common in old stories, where princesses and noble girls were carried in such a manner by armored knights who…

Oh… _Oh_…

She giggled slightly. It was an old childhood dream of hers to be rescued by a knight in gleaming armor.

Kelia always said that she was being a doofus whenever she talked about it.

But, maybe there was a bit of truth to those dreams?

Maybe...

* * *

**AN: And scene. Basically, the Dark Reaper Crisis has begun, a new antagonist is introduced in the form of TZ-23, and someone has a massive crush on**_** Fixer**_** of all people.**

**Anyway, most of the vehicles used by both sides exist, though the MAVw-A2 Bantha is from an Arma 3 mod, and is basically a tiny juggernaut with a twin laser cannon turret and missile racks on said turret.**

**Not much else to say here beyond the IM-5 Medical droid being the one from the AOTC incredible cross sections (Ostensibly an IM-6 even though in legends that unit has already been given an appearance by Galactic Battlegrounds as the Republic medical droid) so I gave it a new designation because why not.**

**Oh and because I was way late for this, the LAAT/arc is basically the LAAT equivalent to something like an MH-60 Blackhawk, in the same way the LAAT/s is basically the Stealth Blackhawk from the Bin Laden raid.**

**The LAAT is a very versatile design… And I'm already thinking about a few… ****More **_**offensively**_** minded variants to introduce as the war heats up.**

**Anyways, the C-9989 is the smaller C-9979 variant we see at several points TCW, and is mostly used to deploy companies of infantry battle droids since it's incapable of handling anything larger than a few Armored Scout Tanks, small vehicle droids such as Crab or Dwarf Spider Droids or a few platoons of STAP.**

**Oh, and yeah, incase it wasn't clear, the Bothan infiltrators are basically the Bothan counterparts to Spartan-IIs.**


	12. Darkness Rising: Lull Aurek

**AN: Chapter 12, deploying.**

**Good to see people still enjoying this by the way, and to Thraus, part of my success with OCs is because I don't try to make them unreasonably overly capable or anything close to absurd, I also don't make it so they don't have flaws, for example Kelia's drive comes at the cost of her family life, which she's well aware is a very _bad_ thing for her daughter. She's a good officer as well, but nowhere near Yularen's level yet, let alone _Thrawn_ or Ackbar of all people. And she might become that capable as she develops war experience and creates a style of command all of her own as any veteran officer would.**

**OCs can be exceptional people, it's hardly interesting fiction unless one is a very good writer if they're not, but they honestly need a good and very legitimate reason to outshine major canonical players.**

**That isn't utterly contrived I might add, god knows how often I get turned off by power fantasy fics and refuse to read them any further because it just ends up with some random faction routinely and consistently stomping the Empire or whoever have you into the dirt because X reason, or some random guy out of the blue being somehow stronger and better trained than the top tier Sith Lords and Jedi Masters despite being a literally who.**

**Part of why I really hate the whole Eternal Alliance/Empire stuff in SWTOR TBH. It's literally every contrived power fantasy SW fanfic made manifest as official material and had an equally contrived explanation for everything in that Vitate cannot into consistency in what he wants.**

**As for extant characters I guess I just try to stick to how a character acts given their personality, or basing a greater personality off what little I know of them in the event nothing more is available to reference. Naturally some bits are up to interpretation but that's a fact of writing even in official works.**

**Oh and because I forgot to address that, Obi-Wan is indeed biased against Mandalorian Warriors given he's a hardcore Jedi and doesn't fully understand the intricacies of the culture, much in the same way Kal is biased against the Jedi in that he's a hardcore Mandalorian and doesn't understand the reasoning behind the post-Ruusan Order, though both are at least correct in that the other's culture has serious faults that need addressing.**

**Ordo understands this however, and thus sought a second opinion from Kelia, whom is mostly indifferent on a personal level due to the cultural disconnect, and is currently trying to figure out how and when he should ask Kal what he thinks of all of this since it's clear to him that being mainly focused around warrior clans hasn't worked out that well for the Mandalorians in recent centuries by any measure.**

**The Nulls are nothing if not thorough at the least.**

**As for the death toll, the Clan Wars were simply that brutal, and it's not the first time Mandalorian Space has been subject to massive civilian deaths, as the Blue Shadow Virus ravaged it and nearly depopulated the region during the early stages of the New Sith Wars before the sector managed to recover under the auspices of Mandalore the Uniter fifty years before Ruusan.**

**_Mando'ade_ don't hold back under most circumstances either, and rival clan cities, settlements and farms are perfectly valid targets for firebombing campaigns, starvation would undoubtedly cause a massive spike in the toll due to the fact Mandalore's farmland is already scarce thanks to the Excision and civilian shipping would break down, preventing outside sources of food from being brought in.**

**There's a reason traditional Mandalorian housing is intended to be low profile, well camouflaged, hard to destroy with a single attack, and easily defensible, it's because when the Clans inevitably start shooting at eachother at some point over some rivalry, you're going to want to have the means to keep unwanted guests off your lawn.**

* * *

_**"Cerulean Spear was a karking osikshow in the early days, don't let them fool you, the entire oversector was totally unprepared for the Dark Reaper Crisis... I'm surprised we managed to survive that affair, let alone win it."**_**-Major MK-552/67, Post-War interview.**

* * *

**13:6:32 GRS**

**Naval Station **_**Glory**_**, Lantilles System, Lantillian Sector.**

Kelia sighed as she stood alongside four dozen Clone and nonclone officers before a briefing session.

General's Kenobi and Be'ti were standing before the crowd, their respective Padawans behind them, with Admirals Yularen and Jerjerrod standing at Kenobi's side.

Behind them sat a holotable with a massive display of the Galaxy being projected from it, sections of the map tinted in red or blue to indicate Republic or CIS control respectively.

Kelia never realized how… _Trivial_ a war seemed when reduced to blotches of color on a map.

To her right Kursk and Tecs were chatting on a two-way channel given the occasional bob of their helmets in concert with that they were talking about.

And to her left, Ordo was staring intently and trying to figure out what the hell was going on, being the lowest ranking individual present as he was only an Army Captain.

Kenobi nodded at a Clone officer in naval uniform, who promptly hit a button and swapped the holomap to a view of the Tion Cluster.

With the Raxus system highlighted.

There were a few murmurs, but nothing was said aloud, Kenobi then cleared his throat and spoke up.

"As you are all no doubt aware of by now, the Republic has suffered an unusually fierce attack on the Rhen Var system, which forced the evacuation of Bravo base and cost us many personnel and a few warships in the process due to the sheer size of the invasion force." Kenobi explained, the holotable highlighting systems and displaying related images as he did so. "Our current inclination is that the Separatists wished to destroy information we had found regarding a transmission between Raxus Prime and Serenno, which has already been decrypted and released for limited use by intelligence for the purpose of this briefing."

He tapped a button on the console, playing an audio file. ["Excavation is approximately eighty-five percent complete, my lord. The relic is in excellent condition despite the degrading conditions of Raxus Prime's environment, a testament to the quality of the device's construction."]

["Most excellent, I shall be along shortly to oversee the final retrieval and its transfer for field testing."] Dooku's dulcet tones replied to the anonymous foreman.

"Field testing…" Kelia mumbled. "What do they mean by that?"

"General Windu has assigned a taskforce led by myself and General Be'ti to head to the Raxus System and launch a raid on Raxus Prime with the intent of capturing this device or destroying it to prevent the Separatists from utilizing it as a weapon against the Republic." Obi-Wan continued.

_That_ elicited a reaction, with Kelia's hand shooting up.

"Captain Los'ean, you have a concern?"

"With all due respect General, Raxus is the _capitol_ system of the Confederacy, it will undoubtedly be heavily defended by hundreds of warships." She pointed out, earning a few nods of agreement from those around her.

Kenobi nodded in agreement. "And that is what is even more unusual about the entire scenario… Raxus's garrison has been heavily stripped of its forces according to recon reports obtained via the Bothan Spynet, with only a few dozen vessels left, most over Raxus Secundus as part of its defense sphere. Intelligence believes that General Grievous has reallocated most of the defense ships to the frontlines as a result of the losses they have suffered in combat against Admiral Screed's forces in the mid-rim."

Kelia raised an eyebrow, Screed was lightyears away from the Tion and the CIS had forces significantly closer to there they could draw upon.

But who was she to know what ran through the mind of the cyborg leader of the Droid Armies of the Confederacy?

"I see. Nothing further General."

Obi-Wan nodded before continuing. "Your mission orders will be disseminated in the coming days and we will depart once ground forces have mustered on Lantilles by the end of next week. Set your schedules accordingly, and may the Force be with us all. Dismissed."

Slowly, the officers began to file out, Kelia deciding to make time to merge squadrons that'd suffered losses to make space for additional supplies in the main hangars. She'd noticed that their spare parts stocks were drastically lower than she'd expected, indicating KDY had either designed the _Venator_ under Ruusan limitations, or had not fully thought out the possibility that the ship might be called upon to use its full fighter complement routinely.

Maybe go talk to Menith and Ielec, she knew the former clearly had an obvious infatuation with Fixer, and the latter she wanted to catch up with more.

Maybe send a message back to Korsk before that, tell him she was alright.

Message first, friends second, then readiness preparations.

* * *

Kelia strode into the public comms center in the sixth wing of the station and blinked as she saw Ordo at a console, a handset to his ear.

"_Elek_ _Kal'buir_,_ elek ni'll cuyir ulyc_." He sighed into the device. "_Nayc_, _ni_ won't _rejorhaa'ir_ Vau. _Haa'taylir gar nusujii_." He added before hanging up, sounding a bit frustrated for some reason.

He turned around, eyeing Kelia suspiciously as she headed to a different console before dismissing whatever concern he had and moving on.

She sighed and dialed the comm number for her apartment on Coruscant. ["Would you like to make this a collect call or pay for long distance at this terminal?"] An automated voice asked.

Kelia sighed and hit pay, punching in her card number and waiting for Korsk to pick up.

["Hello?"] Her husband asked suspiciously, but with some exhaustion in his voice. ["Uh, this is the-"]

"_Di'kut"_ She thought with some annoyance. It was his usual 'I'm sorry we're not taking any com-marketer calls' routine.

"Korsk, _tion'ad te haran vaabir gar mirdir ru'kel cuyir calling gar sha ibac tuur'ika_?" Kelia muttered, using _Mando'a_ to confirm it was her.

She heard him issue a curse off the handset. ["Kelia? The hell? I didn't recognize the number..."]

"I'm calling you from the naval anchorage in the Lantilles system, and don't say anything dumb, Intel is monitoring the call to keep the spies whom are undoubtedly aboard the station on their toes and I don't want you arrested by the Coruscant Guard for being a _di'kut_. Just wanted to tell you I was okay and that I'll be out of contact for a bit."

["Why?"]

"Korsk, what did I tell you about asking stupid questions to annoy me?" She snarked at him. "Because if you keep doing it, I'm gonna cut you off."

["We both know you're going to be _extremely_ horny by the time you get back from whatever deployment you'll be on."] He replied smarmily. ["Kelia, I _know_ you, you couldn't wait to rip my clothes off and have me charge straight up your loading ramp when we came back from Hypori, and I could tell the _entire_ night we were out."]

Her fur rippled in embarrassment. "Sh… Shut up…"

He'd gotten to her, always was good at the little games they played, even back when they were dating.

["Well, I'll see you when you get back… Litat's fine by the way before you ask, she's starting to be a handful though, your mother caught her beating up the floor cleaning droid with a spoon earlier, poor thing was too confused to even _move_ with her in its way."] He said, moving past their usual opening jabs and onto more casual talk.

Kelia put her hand over her mouth and giggled, happy to hear her daughter was becoming more active.

And yet, a part of her spirit deadened to know she wasn't there, that she _couldn't_ be there.

All because someone went and started a _war_ because the Republic was so inept and corrupt it couldn't stop its own laws from being eroded and instigating a secession movement.

Let alone _enforce _them.

And thus, the only resort left was to resolve the issue in a battle of military supremacy.

["Kel… I hate that you're away…"] Korsk finally said candidly after a brief pause. ["Litat needs her mother, and…"]

"I know… I hate it too… But, well… I made my bed, so I have to lie in it." She replied sadly.

["I know…"]

"_Kar'taylir darasuum gar_." She whispered softly.

["Love you too _shayl_."] He replied.

With that he hung up, Kelia standing there for a couple seconds and fighting back tears before putting the handset up.

She wiped them clean.

There was a time to cry and a time for duty.

Now was the time for duty.

* * *

**13:6:32 GRS**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Lantilles System, Lantillian Sector.**

Kelia strode into the Officer's Lounge on the command level after taking a shuttle ride over, Ielec and Mineth already chatting away at the bar, Ordo sitting nearby and speaking to Boss and Delta Squad's advisor about possible infiltration plans of their own.

There were a few Naval Officers sitting about, most talking to eachother about the fine points of naval combat.

She even saw Tecs and Kursk were outlining basic tactical options for the unique surface of Raxus Prime with a quartet of Captains and a trio of Lieutenants at a table.

The 608th, being a Mobile Regiment, was well suited for the operation, with them being due to receive a shipment of the new AT-XT walkers to work alongside their AT-TEs, AT-PTs, AT-RTs, AT-SEs, MAVw-A2 Bantha APCs, Tusk-Cat Speeder Jeeps, TX-130 Fighter Tanks, and speeder bikes.

Also gone were the AV-9 light artillery guns, replaced by more AV-7 heavy self-propelled artillery pieces and a few AAV-3s to increase mobility, ease of deployment and self-sufficiency.

"And that's why Kelia never brings up her high school career." Mineth said as Kelia approached them, Ielec bursting into laughter.

Kelia gently squeezed her childhood friend's shoulder, causing her to yelp in surprise. "What's that about my high school career? Because I could've sworn that you ended up blowing out the shop class and forcing us to evacuate the school complex at least _seven_ times over four years."

"Th… Those were accidents!" Mineth stuttered. "It's not my fault they never checked the regulators on those power droids!"

"Says the Bothan who volunteered to _fix_ them and never did." Kelia remarked slyly as Ielec took another sip of her drink.

Mineth mumbled something as Kelia chuckled at her friend's expense. "So, what exactly were you up to before we hauled your _shebs_ off Rhen Var?"

Mineth shrugged, Kelia smelling alcohol on her breath as she sat down. "I'd been on that post since… It'd been built, so about over a month and a half… By the way there was absolute fek all to do there beyond using a DC-15 Carbine to masturbate through your uniform while on watch, droid races when the NCOs weren't looking, tinkering with things, strip Sabacc, or dying of hypothermia."

Kelia and Ielec each raised an eyebrow, or in Ielec's case a stenciled-on eyebrow since her species lacked hair, and even some of the nearby Clones had looked over, having overheard what she said, particularly the part with the DC-15.

The Bothan shrugged and took another sip of her ale, a bit too intoxicated to care before noticing the looks she was getting. "_What_? Nobody wanted to go outside and set anything on fire, not like there was anything to burn either… People did _try_ to have sex, but well, you've never heard a Clone Sergeant shouting at the top of his lungs when finding two enlisted non-Clones trying to get laid in a supply closet. Tends to turn people off. But yeah, the post was boring as hell... Not sure if being shot at was better or worse though."

Kelia gave Mineth an odd look as she swayed in her seat. "Mineth… Listen, you've probably had a bit too much to drink… We both know you couldn't handle your alcohol well…"

"Fek you I do what I want." Mineth hiccupped before taking another swig and continuing to sway lazily.

Oh wonderful, two months into the war and her friend was already in a kriffing 'Terminal Lance' mindset.

She'd heard the stories of people stuck at that rank until termination of service from her mother.

Few of them were anything more than stupid or just pitiful.

"Wow… I have never actually seen someone be that much of a lightweight before." Ielec said in amazement. "She's… Just messing around, right?"

"Nope… She actually is that much of a lightweight." Kelia sighed and gently hauled Mineth upright.

"Nnawt a lightweight." The other Bothan slurred before muttering something about Fixer and giggling stupidly.

Ielec rolled her eyes. "So, when are we shipping out?" The Twi'lek asked.

"End of the week."

She smacked her lips. "Well, that gives the guys in the hangar more time to finish the nose-art on the gunships."

"Nose-art?" Kelia asked warily.

"Yeah, pinups, generally insulting epithets related towards the Seppies, pro-Republic messages. That sort of stuff…"

Kelia shrugged. "So long as it's not skimpy imagery of _me_ on anything, I could care less… Water please."

The Droid bartender nodded and moved to pour a glass.

"Oh, right, the quartermaster wanted me to hand you something later… Someone requested enough _kamas_ and pauldrons to outfit the entire 608th and a sizable amount of pale-yellow paint."

"I swear to the Force, what the hell are they doing _now_?" Kelia inquired as she sat up.

"Something, something, realizing that the current system is literally painting targets on the NCOs and Clone Officers for enemy snipers?" Ielec offered smarmily.

The Bothan shrugged as she sipped on her water. "Fair enough… Though I think that's going to piss a lot of officers off."

"The Coruscant Guard already has unit specific markings, so do the security boys back on Kamino from what I've been told." The Twi'lek pointed out.

"True, true… Fek it, I'll allow it, might do wonders for morale since they're cooped up on this ship for so long due to them being permanently assigned and all." Kelia conceded as she looked over her shoulder.

Ielec shrugged and turned back to her drink, even as Mineth hiccuped drunkenly next to her. "So, what next for you then?"

"Probably just a bunch of coordinating with Kenobi and all that, signing off on request forms, and just general management stuff. Doing a few rounds of some sections I've been meaning to check up on to ensure everyone is getting along well, in my usual 'I'm just here to make sure everyone is okay and then I'll be gone and out of your hair' manner."

"Sounds kinda boring."

"It is." She sighed.

"You should probably get working on that."

Kelia groaned loudly.

* * *

**13:6:33 GRS**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Lantilles System, Lantillian Sector.**

Sabre looked at the modifications to his helmet that'd been made so far. Specifically a paint job that made it look like the entire front of the helmet was the face of a snarling Bothan Sky Dragon.

The _vode_ had been _ecstatic _when the word came that the Captain had authorized the repainting of their armor and vehicles with unit markings and even limited armor personalization for those Clones who desired it.

On the condition that they run more drills as best they could.

Sliding his bucket on, Sabre turned on the HUD and checked his DC-15 rifle, so far, so good.

"Nice look sarge! That your custom style?" Quinn appraised as flipped his own helmet, a dragon's jaws painted in pale yellow the cheeks of his helmet in a manner like the markings on Kelia's display armor, with the T-visor being framed in the same color, and decorative markings painted on the chestplate, biceps, shoulder bell pauldrons, greaves, and boots. Though as a leading NCO, Saber had more personalized marks on his arm armor, including the gauntlets and bracers in addition to the biceps and shoulder bells. "Can't believe the Captain allowed us to do this!" He chuckled.

"Well, it's our way of appreciating all she's done for us." Sabre chuckled back as Rori, Kel, and Nax finished putting on their own new gear, which were also less ornately designed than Sabre's and more or less identical to Quinn's. "And our way of making ourselves stand out among out brothers."

"I can drink to that!" Another Clone chuckled as he pulled his helmet off an armory rack, inspecting the simple yet good looking markings.

"You seen the paint jobs on the vics and larties?" Kipper inquired as he looked up from his PLX-1 Launcher, having been inspecting the weapon for issues.

"Nope, same colors?"

"Yep, most of the larties have dragonteeth framing the chin guns now. Same with a few of the AT-TEs, AT-RTs, AT-XTs, and AT-SEs regarding their own 'cheek' areas." The heavy weapons specialist replied.

"Nice, can't wait to show it off to the _vode_." Sabre chuckled as he they finished gearing up for their routines.

Armor chafed like hell when sitting down, but that was on the aiwhabait.

"Hey, wanna go mess with the Commandos?" Someone suggested.

"Hell yeah!" Another Clone agreed.

"Simmer down boys, they'll find out soon enough." Sabre informed them.

Already there was a surge of pride within the 608th regarding their new unit markings.

Maybe they should put a few victories under their belt to go with it?

* * *

"See, this one goes here, that one goes there." Mineth said as she pointed out several misaligned wires in Sorch's helmet.

Scorch slapped his forehead. "Well, damn... Vau's gonna kill me for screwing that up."

Fixer eyed his red and orange haired brother. "Maybe if you listened to me about focusing on your work instead of arguing with Sev while trying to repair your helmet spotlights, this wouldn't be an issue."

Sev looked over from where he was checking his camo-styled facial tattoos for any smearing. "Heh." He chuckled before returning to his work and then grabbing a canister of _something_ and beginning to apply a new coat of color to the splattering on his armor.

"Is that actual blood?" Mineth asked warily.

Scorch leaned in. "Nobody knows." He whispered. "We think he hunted rodents to paint the armor back on Kamino. The Nulls already had dibs on the aiwhabait anyways."

"I can hear you _ner vod_." Sev remarked dryly.

Boss rolled his eyes and waved at them to knock it off, much like Fixer he was a bog standard appearing Fett clone without his helmet on barring the faint stubble of a moustache on his upper lip.

"Got it Boss."

"Yes sir."

Mineth giggled softly as she continued rewiring Scorch's helmet, Fixer coming over and sitting next to her to offer some pointers.

Maybe she should apply for a transfer? Being technical support for a commando squad would probably be a nice change of pace compared to sitting around on some backwater post for months on end and nearly dying of boredom.

* * *

**13:6:34 GRS**

**Gelza district, Level 3467, Galactic City, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Korsk slipped through the ghettos, one of _thousands_ of levels of forgotten 'underground' on the Galactic Capitol, which were in total home to _quadrillions _of sapients whom were considered noncitizens as far as the planetary government was concerned, and thus left to fend for themselves beyond basic services and token Police and Coruscant Guard presences.

If any at all in the lower levels, especially below level 1500, where people worked day and night to keep the lights on and the water running because the alternative was literally death, even the gangs and crime lords there knew better than to mess with the technicians.

He slopped his way through a puddle of speeder coolant, thankful for the combat boots, passing a squad of Clone Shock Troopers as they patrolled the local area with a pair of underworld cops in their anonymizing gear and armor to protect them from gang reprisals, the Clones warily glancing around at the crowds of beings and droids that filtered through the streets under harsh yellow glowlamps and flickering neon advertising holoscreens.

Korsk preferred the higher levels of the underground, cleaner and safer if you could believe that, and you were far less likely to run into those damned Cthons or even old war droids still wandering around since the Sacking of Coruscant by the Sith Empire thousands of years ago.

Thank the Force the Sith were extinct, the millennia old stories Clan Aean's members recounted about what the Dark Siders were capable of chilled him to the core.

Korsk shook his head and walked into to a dimly lit hole in the wall bar run by a Defel, illuminated only by a couple low-radiation UV lamps in the back of the establishment.

Defel preferred the darkness, let them see better given their biology, which included a unique ability to absorb visible spectrum light with their fur, making them appear as 'living shadows' to most humanoids, though this ability vanished as they aged.

"Korsk… Haven't seen you around in a while, how's the family?"

"Pretty good Vee, I'm sure you've heard about my wife in the news." Korsk replied to the greying old Defel as he sat down, the female chuckling softly as she tapped the chin of her muzzle.

"The propaganda feeds kept blasting her accomplishments at Muunilinst and Hypori nonstop for weeks to try and drown out the news about Grevious, hard _not _to. So, what can I do ya for? Drinks, or are you here trawling for information?" The former spy inquired.

"I've been looking into something for a friend in the 482nd Precinct's investigative division regarding new activity in Sector 10312 of the Works. Some factories come back online; you hear anything about it?"

"Yeah, few workers from there frequent here, they're just producing equipment for the GAR, including Clone Trooper armor and blasters. Nothing to be concerned about."

Korsk nodded softly. "Right, I'll tell Yannick that it's not the Separatists then. Close that little case."

She nodded before pausing. "Say, you hear about that situation at Arca Barracks a couple months back?" The Defel asked.

Korsk nodded again, remembering that fiasco, and how it was handled. "Yeah, utterly idiotic, six men couldn't hope to hold off six thousand, even with a fortified position like that. Filtering knockout gas into the barracks would've forced them to surrender quickly enough if they cut the power, even an ARC Trooper's suit can only have so much oxygen in it, but they put some of the dumbest Jedi I've ever seen in overall command so nobody thought of that."

If that had happened with Spynet operatives... There wouldn't have been a standoff.

"Yeah… Anyway, I heard a rumor that the ARCs involved in that were never punished, supposedly the military planned to bypass the Jedi and court martial them anyway, but someone shut the whole process down, way above Skirata's pay grade too since he was enlisted as a Sergeant, plus no Senate hearing for the Jedi to explain either, so it's totally off-record."

"Yeah, heard about that from my wife over a communique, she still has no idea how Zey and Camas would convince the Jedi Council to back down on the matter, let alone get the military to drop charges when it became a media affair and a humiliation for the GAR." Korsk mused. "You think Skirata called in a favor with some military contractor he worked for to get them to use their production lines as leverage?"

"Who knows, but rumor mill's saying that as a result, Armand Isard has put a watch order on Skirata and hired a Spynet operative to keep tabs on him. Infiltrator no less. Not sure why he's hired out Spynet of all groups, but methinks it's for deniability purposes."

Korsk almost felt sorry for the Mando should he ever piss off Isard enough to get a kill order issued, Bothan Infiltrators were among the few non-Jedi or Sith forces that the _Mando'ade_ openly respected and even _feared_. The Infiltrator corps having been believed responsible for the deaths of countless Mandalorians and the destruction of hundreds of their warships and vast amounts of their military infrastructure throughout history, with the boldest claim being that Cassus Fett himself had been felled by an Infiltrator on the eve of Malachor V, depriving the Neo-Crusaders of their greatest military leader at a critical juncture and all but ensuring Revan's victory by removing the one commander who could've seen the trap for what it was before it was too late.

Thankfully for most people who _really _pissed someone off, Infiltrators tended to be _extremely _picky about kill contracts. They were spies and saboteurs first and foremost, not bounty hunters.

That didn't mean they couldn't be assassins when it suited them however, and even Jedi and at least one Chancellor have supposedly ended up in an early grave thanks to them.

Of course, that also meant that Skirata would have to do something especially egregious to get them to actually agree, which Korsk didn't see happening any time soon.

Vee noticed the wheels turning in his mind. "Yeah, I feel sorry for the poor bastard too, Kal's a bit of a spacebrain when it comes to admitting that the Jedi aren't all that bad and that the Mandalorians have their own planet-sized faults, plus he's a sentimental old fool who can't be a stern parent to save his kriffing life and has enough lingering mental issues to overfill a _Lucrehulk_, but the man means well enough and takes care of his own when everything in his head is firing correctly. If he doesn't do anything stupid he should be fine though."

Korsk snorted. "Sounds like my mother in law would rip him apart over those failings regardless."

"Cath? I don't doubt it, she's been even more of a hardass ever since her husband died of Gray Rot, hasn't she?"

"Burukt always was a bit too stubborn for his own good… And that's what got him killed, don't think Kelia ever forgave him for it either." Korsk sighed. "Especially since she was four standard months pregnant with Litat when it happened. Her brother took it even worse on that regard, went full Mando and took his armor to go act as bounty hunter."

The Defel nodded sagely. "So, want anything to drink?" She asked after a few moments.

"Nah, I've gotta take a cab back up and get some stuff done. Maybe later."

"Always got a seat here for ya if you want to stop by."

"I'll think about it sometime." Korsk replied as he stood up and headed out, discreetly checking his credit chit and holdout blaster and its power packs to ensure some little fekker didn't try and pickpocket him on the way down.

Never could be too careful, even Jedi have had their lightsabers pilfered clean off their belts down here.

Once assured he was ready, he made his way to the nearest taxi stop, so he could leave the underground behind.

Preferably before someone attempted to mug him.

* * *

**13:6:35 GRS**

**Naval Station **_**Glory**_**, Lantilles System, Lantillian Sector.**

Kelia strode into the office of Systems Admiral Manel Therbon and gave him a crisp salute. "Line Captain Los'ean, reporting, sir!"

"At ease Captain." The black bearded human male informed her as he leaned back his chair, his desk typically arranged for an officer of his stature with some databooks, a flip-up terminal panel, a holoprojector, some datapads, a caf mug, and a model _Dreadnaught_ painted in the red with white trimming of the Coruscant PSF on it. "I have a special assignment for you regarding the Raxus Prime operation. My apologies for the last-minute orders."

"What sort of assignment, sir?"

The man tapped a button, displaying an image of the general terrain around the area that intelligence had earmarked. "You're to launch an attack on the flank of the enemy facility and draw off the main enemy forces to allow Master Kenobi and Master Be'ti to assault the complex. For this operation you'll be acting in concert with two teams of Commandos who'll hit the main enemy defenses and clear a way for your ship to provide direct cover for the ground forces. "

"Sir? We already have Delta Squad and Captain Ordo aboard, aren't they some of the best for this already?" Kelia inquired.

The corners of the man's lips twitched upwards behind his facial hair. "For _normal_ Clones maybe." He said before tapping a button. "Sergeant, your team is clear to enter."

The door slid open, Kelia turning around to see four Clones enter, only one of them even resembling a baseline Commando, let alone a Trooper.

She clamped her mouth shut and resisted the urge to gape.

All of them but one were wearing black and red Katarn Armor, _heavily_ customized Katarn Armor given how much it diverged from the sets used by Delta Squad and their peers.

"Clone Force 99, reporting for duty." The lead Commando, whom had a red bandanna tied around his greasy black hair and a black skull tattoo covering the left side of his face, stated bluntly.

"She the CO of our ride?" A rather gaunt and pale looking Clone with a sniper rifle slung over his back inquired. "Figures we'd get a hairball with our luck."

Kelia resisted the urge to snarl at the speciesist insult.

"I'd stop while you're ahead Crosshair, don't want to piss off an officer." The shortest of the four, wearing a _heavily_ modified suit of ARF Trooper armor and a pair of goggles cautioned.

"Y'know, she's a bit big for a Bothan." The physically largest of the quartet, an absolute _behemoth_ of a bald man whom looked like he could rip a Wookiee in half with his bare hands and had his left eye glazed over, noted.

"Rich coming from you Wrecker." The obvious leader remarked. "Anyways, my designation is IRC-87, call me Hunter, the thin prick is Crosshair, IRC-56, gogglehead there is Tech, IRC-42, and the big guy is Wrecker, IRC-86." He said, introducing them in turn.

Kelia blinked. "My apologies sergeant, I'm just processing how…"

"Different we are? Yeah, get that a lot, we're the lucky experimental Clones whose 'defects' were anything but, even the Kaminoans aren't _that_ wasteful so as to get rid of Clones with mutations that're useful in combat. So we named ourselves after one of pod-mates we know of that the Kaminoans _didn't_ euthanize for being physically deformed, IRC-99, after Jango finally had enough about seven years into our lifespan about them just killing off Clones for minor defects and threatened to destroy the stocks of his DNA, take Boba, and quit if they continued. Everyone thus spitefully named us the 'Bad Batch', so we took that and made it our own as well." The short Clone stated, rambling onwards before anyone could stop him.

"I assume the I prefix indicates 'irregular'?" Kelia asked, again disgusted by the Kaminoans' callousness.

"Catch on quick ma'am." Tech remarked. "Anyways, we're _superior_ in every way in our respective skillsets to even the Nulls."

"Jaing never let you beating him during those blind exercises Jango set up to screw with Kal go, did he Tech?" Wrecker asked with a chuckle.

"Absolutely not, but I can't blame him, I'd be annoyed if I was told I was the best at what I do and then someone better came along and beat me without a care in the Galaxy." Tech replied flippantly as he tapped on a computer on his bracer armor. "Of course, he's a bit better than me in other regards, but that may be an irrelevant subject in this case."

Kelia sighed. "Right… We can do smalltalk back on the ship. I need to make sure your equipment is all moved over."

"Can't _wait_ to mix with the Regs…" Crosshair muttered icily.

"Yeah, we don't do too well with the Regs as I'm sure you've noticed. They tend to think of us as 'over-hyped' one-off models." Hunter stated calmly to Kelia.

She nodded. "Right, I'll have ship security keep them away from where you're going to be then, last thing I need is them harassing you, but I'll warn you right now that I will tolerate the inverse equally little."

"All good ma'am, we don't go out of our way to interact with them if we don't have to." Hunter assured her. "And I'll have Wrecker keep Crosshair's mouth shut if need be."

"Right… I'll have to set things up for you to transfer over then but make sure you're prompt about it when you do." She sighed.

"Ah, one last item." Admiral Therbon said as he pulled a box out and handed it to Kelia. "You may want to stop by the Officer's Exchange before heading back to your ship, _Commodore_."

Kelia froze, eyes wide, as she opened the box and looked at the five squares of a Commodore's rank badge.

She'd been given a _promotion_.

"A little formality, given your effective command of the taskforce over Rhen Var and your demonstration of tactical aptitude at Muunilinst." He clarified. "Meant to clarify your place in the command structure to avoid any… Lingering issues given Master Kenobi's hands-off approach to naval combat. The paperwork to deal with the issue was not something I can imagine was particularly enjoyable. Try not to disappoint, I'd hate to have to take it back."

She saluted sharply. "T... Thank you, sir!"

"You're dismissed Commodore. You lot as well." Therbon chuckled lightly, Kelia spinning on her heel and walking out, the Bad Batch following in her wake.

* * *

**13:6:35 GRS**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Lantilles System, Lantillian Sector.**

["_Kestrel_ this is dock control, you are clear for departure."] A human officer informed the bridge of the _Kestrel_ as Kelia nodded at her helmsman.

"Copy that dock control, we're pulling away now, have the tugs guide us clear." She replied.

["Roger that _Kestrel_, good hunting."]

And with that, the line cut and Kelia watched as her ship pulled away from the docking port and headed out towards open space, guided by an octet of standard Republic naval tugs and escorted by eight Torrents.

"Helm, make a course to our designated slot in the fleet arrangement. Perth, I want the 1MC ready for an announcement. We're running late as it is."

She mentally cringed as she remembered how frequently everyone, herself included, still called it the 'Ship's PA', which was accurate when it was used for such a means, but not entirely so.

"Sir." Her XO replied before heading to the back of the bridge to set up the line.

She sighed before tapping a button on her new headset, hearing the chime of the system.

"Attention all hands, prepare for the jump to hyperspace, ready all ground equipment, gunships, and fightercraft, crews are to prep quick load racks for bombers in the event either anti-surface or anti-ship combat is required, all troops are to prepare for ground combat and Commando units are to prepare equipment for insertion. I repeat-"

* * *

"Did she just say Commando _units_?" Sev muttered in realization as Delta Squad continued their preparations, Mineth helping Fixer tune his comlink repeater pack while Kelia continued her announcement.

Ordo frowned, having not been informed of this beforehand.

"Well, well, well. It's Ordo." Came a voice he absolutely _didn't_ want to hear. "Looks like Skirata let your off your leash for once like the good little strill you are." Crosshair taunted as the Bad Batch walked into the armory, holding their respective weapons, with Wrecker hoisting a modified cip-quad meant to be fired like from the hip like a Z-6 over his shoulder.

"Knock it off Crosshair. We can mess with Skirata's top lapstrill when we're off the clock." Hunter ordered as he crossed his arms and stared down Ordo and Delta Squad, Mineth trying to go unnoticed as she kept working on Fixer's pack. "So, _vode_, we gonna play nice, or what? Because the clankers sure as hell aren't." He asked, waiting for the response from Boss and Ordo.

* * *

**AN: And scene.**

**The Bad Batch are an interesting lot, and sort of a weird mirror for Delta Squad, cynical asshole sniper (Crosshair/Sev), down to earth and blunt leader (Hunter/Boss), Guy who likes breaking things (Wrecker/Scorch), tech expert (Tech/Fixer), Scorch and Fixer do diverge from their CF 99 counterparts to a large degree with Scorch being more of a joker than a brute and Fixer being the straight man and most disciplined of the Deltas, with Sev and Crosshair having the most overlap personality-wise.**

**Moreover, the claim that they're better in their respective roles than the Nulls are isn't without merit thanks to their mutations.**

**Tech is probably the smartest Clone alive, with his brain working far more efficiently than the rest of his brothers, even Jaing would probably struggle to keep up with him as a slicer and programmer.**

**Crosshair's reflexes, fine motor control, and keen eyesight are likely without peer among humans who aren't Force Sensitive, making him the best shot in the GAR that we canonically know of from either official timeline.**

**Wrecker is strong enough to lift a large portion of a wrecked LAAT gunship, throw B1s down hallways at significant velocity while shrugging off the shock of close-range explosions, and use heavy weapons like they're glorified rifles.**

**And lastly Hunter's keen senses allow him to track targets even the Nulls would lose, through conditions even they could find appalling.**

**In short, they're true supersoldiers, and no doubt the Kaminoans would discreetly desire more like them and thus attempt to repeat said mutations as they're every bit as capable as the six extant Null ARCs, more so in some regards, but don't have the same issues regarding the chain of command.**

**Which is probably part of why the two groups absolutely **_**hate**_** eachother (Much to Kal's everlasting chagrin), except for Prudii, whom is the sole Null to try and be cordial to the Bad Batch because he's of the belief that they're all brothers at the end of the day.**

**Also, Kelia gets promoted because of the in-universe confusion regarding the chain of command in Kenobi's absence and in recognition of her merits. It's also keeping with Palpatine's plan to see if she can become a useful pawn in the future, with the Dark Reaper Crisis being her trial by fire.**

**If she can't, she remains a lower ranking officer, if she **_**does**_** excel later in the Dark Reaper Crisis, particularly when the Republic throws its weight against Thule to destroy the ancient superweapon for good, it'll put her on the fast track for promotion.**

**Palpatine doesn't really care either way though, she's just another pawn as far as he's concerned.**


	13. Darkness Rising: Flashpoint

**AN: Chapter 13, deploying now.**

* * *

"_**Raxus was our first brush with a **_**real**_** battle, not the glorified siege that was our little diversion on Muunilinst that some of us thought was our first go at it… This time we were on the attack. So when the droids dug in their metal heels on that junkworld, we went in to push them over… It cost us dearly, and for what?"**_**-****Anonymous 608th Trooper.**

* * *

**13:6:35 GRS**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Lantilles System, Lantillian Sector.**

Ordo narrowed his eyes at Hunter as the two Clones stared eachother down.

"Enough." CC-01/425 snapped at them both as he strode into the room, Ielec at his side with a datapad in hand. "This operation will require the ten of you working in concert to pull off, or our brothers will pay the price."

"Not our fault the Regs are just wastes of space and gen-"

Hunter grabbed Crosshair by his neck, cutting him off. "Listen, Crosshair, you want to fight this war by yourself against _trillions_ of droids?" He sarcastically asked his brother. "Because while the Regs may not be as capable as us, that doesn't mean their lives are meaningless. Am I understood, _ner vod_?"

"Understood." Crosshair ground out, Hunter releasing him soon after.

Ordo felt uncomfortable hearing Crosshair's open disdain for normal Clones, it was the exact _opposite_ of what _Kal'buir_ had preached, and what Prudii had taken to heart.

In all likelihood, the Nulls would've been the same had Kal, for all his increasingly apparent faults, not taught them that the rank and file were still their brothers.

Tech meanwhile had made his way over the rack holding Delta Squad's helmets and shook his head. "Sarge, I'm gonna need to pull out our tools for this, these things aren't tuned for Raxus Prime's 'unique' magnetic field. Gonna need to recalibrate the sensor nodes and visors so they can withstand the environment… Especially since we also have to worry about caustic materials that'll chew through wiring in minutes, not to mention the Mynocks and other scavengers, which'll force me to change some attunement to drive them off."

"Oh, no, you are _not_ touching my bucket." Sev sneered as he strode up to Tech and jabbed him in the chestplate.

"Either I help your _vod_ and the Bothan with the delicate work, or you probably end up getting nailed by a half-blind scavenger droid that thinks you're a tasty circuit for it to salvage." Tech retorted, the smaller Clone crossing his arms.

Sev growled under his breath by shoved Tech away and stormed off.

Fixer sighed as Mineth glanced around nervously while Ielec whispered something in the advisor's helmet audio pickup, the Clone Commander nodding in agreement.

Scorch sighed audibly as he checked his DC-17m's anti-armor loadout. "Think I should pack a launcher Boss?"

Boss turned to Scorch with a shrug. "Maybe, your pick Scorch, be careful of the added weight on those scrap piles though."

"Yeah, I get it. Might cause it to collapse." Scorch conceded as he earmarked the best looking PLX-1 launcher and grabbed two magazines of rockets for it. "Still packing it, never know if we'll encounter a Homing Spider or a Tri-Droid." Scorch noted.

Wrecker chuckled and picked a PLX-1 for himself. "Like the thinking, twice the launcher, double the _boom_!"

Fixer shook his head as he turned back to Mineth whom was still calibrating his comm's pack. "You doing okay?"

"Me?" She yelped in surprise. "Uh, yeah, uh, I'm fine."

"Speaking of which, did you ever ask her what masturbate means?" Scorch piped up from over by a rack of rocket launchers.

Ielec snorted audibly as the Bad Batchers all chuckled.

Mineth looked mortified, her neck fur bristling on end even as her face flushed red.

"Scorch."

"Yeah Fixer?"

"_Copaani mirshmure'cye, vod_?"

"Copy that, shutting up now." Scorch replied with a jaunty salute as he turned back to his work.

"Sorry about that… Scorch… Well actually what does that word mean?"

Mineth looked away, embarrassed. "Uh… It's… Well when someone pleasures themselves sexually…"

Fixer raised an eyebrow even as Sev jabbed Scorch with his elbow and made smooching gestures with his hands, Scorch sniggering in reply.

"Stow it you two." Ordo snapped at them, having looked up from working on his WESTAR M5 to see them. "Or do I have to tell Vau you're acting like Children and have him come out here with that karking strill of his."

He hated interacting with Vau and his damned strill more than necessary, Ordo still had nightmares about Vau siccing Mird on him for kicks a couple years back.

Jango and Mij Gillmar had to physically restrain Kal from killing the animal in retaliation, which caused Vau to keep Mird safely locked away in his quarters whenever he wasn't being overseen by another member of the _Cuy'val Dar_ who wasn't former Death Watch since Jango couldn't trust them for obvious reasons.

Bastard thought he was being helpful too. Though Vau at least didn't blame anyone else for his lot in life, he just shrugged and did something about it.

The more and more he thought about it, the more and more he realized that _Kal'buir_ was seriously messed up, just as much as his erstwhile sons.

Ordo doubted that was healthy in the slightest for any of them. Didn't mean he didn't appreciate what his _buir_ tried to do, but it added some perspective on things he didn't have before.

In the meantime, both Scorch and Sev fell silent and returned to their work.

Hunter eyed Ordo warily, noticing his hand shaking briefly before calming.

Fixer and Mineth had put the embarrassing moment behind and were currently talking about the finer details of the DC-17m's interchangeable system, keeping the conversation down to avoid getting Tech involved.

Hunter didn't blame them; Tech ran his mouth at a klick a minute when someone got him going.

"Those two look cute together." Wrecker chuckled as he hefted his Cip-Quad as Ielec and CC-01/425 left the room, talking about report formatting.

"Heh, didn't take him for the fur-loving type." Crosshair said as he checked his 773 Firepuncher sniper rifle to make sure it was properly calibrated and sighted for the operation.

"Stow it you two." Hunter growled softly. "Every word you say is another word we could be spending getting ready."

"Got it sarge."

"On it."

And with that, the room lapsed into mostly silence as everyone performed their assigned task.

Then Mineth realized something. "Wait... Did he say _ten_?!" She asked in surprise.

Scorch slapped her on the back and handed her a Katarn-styled helmet that looked like it would fit a Bothan. "Yeah, welcome to the unit. Try not to get killed okay?" He said as he walked off.

"Oh..." She said softly as she took the object from him.

Well, fierfek, time to get suited up then.

* * *

In the hangar bay, a frenzy of activity was underway as Clone Flight Crews and service droids prepped ships for battle, loading missiles and torpedoes aboard fighters, gunships, and bombers, fueling craft for extended action, and ensuring everything was generally functioning properly, including making sure all the ground vehicles were ready to go.

FC-23/1143, Tango, waved his glo-rods to direct an AT-TE with its mass driver turret facing rearwards towards a waiting LAAT/c in concert with another Flight Crewman as a plunk droid waddled away from the lifter after fueling it.

The airlifter, slung from a roof rack, was lowered onto the walker once it was in position, at which point it's magnetic clamps slammed into place around the hexapod vehicle's middle leg 'shoulder' joints, the rack system lifting it off the deck to ensure that the vehicle was properly stowed, the other three vehicles in its platoon undergoing the same process simultaneously, with their side-mounted troop bay doors opening in concert to allow trooper squads ingress for when deployment was imminent.

"Alright! Whelmers 3-1 through 3-4 are ready to go!" He said as he tapped his flight crew helmet's commlink to inform flight deck control as one of the elevators brought up a quartet of AT-XTs, which promptly stomped over to another LAAT/c under guidance from another set of crewers, this one with a quad rack slung underneath its rear hull.

"Bluurg 2-1, Bluurg 2-2, Bluurg 2-3, Bluurg 2-4, standby for docking." Tango said over comms after switching channels as the rack's arms locked around the four bipedal walkers after they formed up underneath the lifter and promptly raised them into stowed positions.

"Bluurg platoon is locked and ready for deployment as well." Tango reported.

["Roger that, bring your crew up to bay nineteen to ensure Ronto Platoon and Cu-pa Platoon are ready to go."] The deck chief replied.

"Copy, we're on it sir." Tango replied before whistling sharply onto a team channel and waving his brothers over to a waiting personnel cart that had just motored over, the Clones quickly piling aboard before it rushed off to their next bay assignment.

* * *

**13:6:35 GRS**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Hyperspace.**

Kelia watched the bridge windows opaque after the ship jumped into hyperspace in concert with fourteen other _Venators_, nine _Acclamators_, six _Gladiators_, nine _Velites_, twenty-one _Arquitens_, six _Dreadnaughts_, fifteen _Peltas_, twelve _Carracks_, twenty-one Charger c70s, twelve Sentinel c20s, nine DP20s, six CR90s, and nine patroller c15s, all led by the _Praetor_ Battlecruiser _Eibon Scimitar_, named for one of the famed flagships of the ancient Tionese warlord Xim the Despot, each painted white with red striping and highlights, the markings of the Republic Navy.

Currently they were en-route to Raxus Prime, which in its heyday was a beautiful world and one of the three capitols of the Kingdom of Cron, such was the world's immeasurable splendor that it was said Xim himself dubbed the planet 'The Circlet of the Tion' upon his ascent.

By the Dark Age of the Republic, that all changed, and now the planet was a junk covered hellhole barely fit for Mynocks, let alone sapient life, its beautiful lagoons and beaches forever destroyed and buried under millennia of accumulated trash, scrap, and wreckage, with Raxus Secundus having taken Raxus Prime's role as the 'Jewel of the Tion'.

And now the Republic was going to assault it, trying to prevent the CIS from presumably recovering some lost superweapon from an age long ago.

Just a typical day in what was now her life she supposed.

"ETA to next jump point on the route?" She inquired of navigation.

"Approximately two hours, sir. Ten total until arrival at the Raxus System!" Tip, the on-duty Navigator replied.

Kelia nodded down at him. "Roger." She turned to Perth. "I want the men on standby at the minus two-hour mark."

"Sir!" Her XO replied and strode off, Kelia tapping the side of her muzzle even as she furrowed her brow.

Was this a trap, to lure in the Republic Navy and wipe out a substantial force?

Or was it a genuine misappropriation of resources that left them a vital opening?

Stupidity from one side and coincidences for another often went hand in hand according to her readings of past conflicts.

Still…

She tapped her headset to turn on the mic. "Perth?"

["Yes sir?"]

"_Ret'lini_… Make sure we have a course set for the closest Republic system in the event things go south." She whispered into the mic.

It never hurt to be careful, and she'd be damned if she left her daughter motherless without putting up a fight.

Besides, something about this stunk, she just didn't know _what_.

["Sir."] He replied curtly.

* * *

Sabre smirked as he and Razor company of the 608th stood in formation with another group of _vode_, the Clones chanting in unison, in one voice.

"_Kote! Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an. Coruscanta a'den mhi, Vode an. Bal kote, darasuum kote, Jorso'ran kando a tome. Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an. Kandosii sa ka'rta, Vode an. Coruscanta a'den mhi, Vode an. Bal... Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Aruetyc talyc runi'la solus cet o'r. Motir ca'tra nau tracinya. Gra'tua cuun hett su dralshy'a. Aruetyc talyc runi'la trattok'o. Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, Vode an!_" They sung, dozens of Flight Crewers, vehicle crews, and pilots joining in from afar as they worked.

It was a song hammered into their heads in training at the behest of Jango Fett, their template.

Every Clone knew it by heart, a reminder that they were all brothers.

_Vode an_.

Sabre smiled even wider as the troops broke up into squads and headed towards their ready rooms to prepare to board LAATs, AT-TEs, and Bantha APCs.

This was the first time they'd had the chance to enact this pre-battle ritual, Muunilinst was too sudden for them to spare the time while Hypori and Rhen Var had been evacuations.

This was the 608th's first _real_ battle, not some delaying action where they defended the ship, not some evacuation.

This was their moment to shine, their _true_ baptism by fire.

["Attention all hands, t-minus two hours to destination, report to combat stations, all ground troops stand by for deployment. All pilots report to ready rooms."] Kelia's voice echoed over the 1MC. ["I repeat, t-minus two hours to destination, report to combat stations, all ground troops stand by for deployment. All pilots report to ready rooms."]

The Clones sprung into action, rushing to their assigned stations in in an orderly yet quick manner.

It was just a matter of time now, General Kenobi and Commander Skywalker should've already slipped through and begun recon on the planet.

* * *

**13:6:35 GRS**

**Excavation Site Exar Kun, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Boba Fett huffed as he looked out at the endless wastes of Raxus Prime, everything from basic trash to entire _navies_ worth of wrecked starships buried the planet's surface under hundreds of kilometers of scrap and garbage even as factories, furnaces, and acrid rivers and lakes filled the air with choking smog and turned the sky an eternally sickly red-green.

So far, Dooku had kept him here under the constant watch of Cydon Prax, the bounty hunter serving as Jango's, his _father's_, replacement as Dooku's go to muscle. Responsible for keeping hidden from sight and kept guessing as to the purpose of what Dooku was doing here.

Partially because Durge would sooner kill Boba than monitor him while Grievous was busy on the frontlines and cared little for the task in the first place.

He'd been here since Aurra Sing dropped him off at his request, and he was honestly starting to regret it. Dooku was too busy, too focused on his dig site to tend to Boba's needs if he even cared at all, Cydon Prax barely cared as it was, and the battle droids that patrolled the corridors either mindless morons or just plain mindless.

Self-reliance... Boba knew he couldn't depend on others to take care of him, so...

He looked down at his father's _buy'ce _as he glared out the door, so far he'd managed to give his minder the slip, as Prax was busy monitoring this 'dig site'.

He slid the Mandalorian helmet on and strode outside.

With any luck, he'd be mistaken for some unusually dressed Jawa or an Ugnaught.

So, he trudged through the much and garbage, looking for areas where he would be able to get over the terrain safely.

The problem was he ended up on the outside of the perimeter.

A few STAP and ASPs buzzed about on patrol, and some Vulture Droids chattered away from their ready positions where they ambled about on their pointed wingtip claws, mixed in with some Homing Spider Droids, AATs, HAGs, and Snail Tanks while infantry droids milled about, either standing guard or patrolling.

But aside from the gun turrets and some bunker exits, there wasn't much of anything else for him to see here.

"_Kriff…"_ Boba thought as he heard a squad of B1s approach.

"Hey! Who are you!? This is a secure area!" The squad leader snapped at him.

Boba bolted, the B1s giving chase.

As he rounded a scrap pile, he was suddenly yanked backwards by a pair of arms, the droids stupidly running past as they kept shouting for him to stop and surrender.

Once they were gone, Boba was suddenly released and spun around.

Standing before him was a fully armored ARC Sergeant with a modified Valken-38 sniper rifle in his hands.

Boba stared him down warily.

Then the ARC started chuckling. "Been a while, hasn't it little _Bob'ika_? You've grown a bit since Ordo stuffed your head in a toilet for badmouthing _Kal'buir_. Not that I condone that, Ordo always _was_ the most unstable of us and would sooner punch someone than try and argue logically with them."

Oh no.

It was one of the Nulls.

Based on the snark, it was probably A'den.

Well, at least it was A'den, who was the most approachable and well-adjusted of the Nulls, second only to Mereel.

Which said a lot to how screwed up the six prototype Clones were.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Boba tried to deny confidently.

"Boba… You're wearing your _buir's buy'ce_ and you're a _horrible_ bluffer. Even a Jedi Padawan is less obvious than you." A'den said as he shook his head. "Still, better than Ordo, he either clams up or punches someone in the face." The Null said flippantly.

Ah, right, A'den was 'talkative' Null.

There was a brief pause before Boba spoke up. "Are you here to take me to Kal…?" He asked warily.

He didn't know if Ordo still held a grudge, and as far as he was concerned, most of the Nulls were borderline psychotic given their tendency towards anger at the drop of a hat.

Mereel honestly scared him the most though, his anger was one hidden behind a smile, the type of anger that you never saw coming until he was already pulling the trigger.

The Null shrugged. "If that's what you want, I'm not going to make that decision for you."

As gladly as he would've dragged Boba back to Coruscant, A'den understood that it was ultimately Boba's choice, so this was one of the few times he was willing to disobey direct instructions from _Kal'buir_.

Wasn't right to do that after all the talk about the Clones being coerced to serve the Republic via indoctrination either.

Plus there was the lingering knowledge that Jango had left some stuff for Boba on Kamino, stuff to allow Boba to grow up strong even if he should die.

"So, what exactly are you doing by making yourself a liability to Dooku?" A'den asked him, noticing that Boba had relaxed now that he was sure the Null wasn't going to harm him.

"I'm trying to figure out what he's doing here, because that's information a Bounty Hunter would want to know because it makes them valuable." Boba said proudly, as if he was doing something right by trying to get himself killed.

"Or it makes you a liability and gives your employer an excuse to kill you." A'den countered, his usual joviality gone. "_Bob'ika_, quit being stupid, you're going to get yourself killed at this rate. And I know you're smarter than this." He said worriedly. "Sometimes you have to let things lie."

"And what about you?" Boba retorted.

"Getting into places I shouldn't and finding information is my _job_. You still haven't even gone through your _Verd'goten_."

"My what?"

"Oh for kark's sake… I assume Jango meant to give you one when you were old enough but _come on_, even those Bothans in Clan Aean have a version and they've been effectively _Dar'manda_ for centuries!" A'den groaned as he slapped a hand to his visor.

Boba was about to reply when he heard clanking noises. "I heard something from this way!" Came the tinny voice of a B1.

The squad had doubled back apparently.

A'den hissed and dropped behind cover, drawing his DC-17 Heavy Commando Special from its holster. "Boba! Get to cover!" He shouted.

"Hey... What're you doing here?" Came a voice from behind them.

Both turned to see _another_ squad of B1s had come by on their typical patrol.

A'den drew his rifle, now having two blasters out and ready. "Just sightseeing, taking in the view, maybe I'll ask someone what the big crane is for." He told the droids sarcastically.

"A Clone! Blast him!" The squad leader shouted before being shot in the head by A'Den, the other B1s retaliating with blasterfire of their own even as A'den continued shooting, downing five droids in as many seconds.

Boba took the opportunity to bolt for it, knowing the Null could easily handle the droids.

As he ran, he pushed past the squad that had circled back after being avoided, causing a B1 to fall over in the process with a yelp.

"How rude!" Another droid muttered, ignoring him as they moved to help the dwindling squad facing the Null ARC.

Thus, Boba slipped away in the confusion.

* * *

Obi-Wan frowned as he and Anakin monitored the dig site from afar. "That ARC Trooper is late…" Obi-Wan muttered.

"You think he ran into trouble?" His Padawan inquired.

"Possibly, regardless, we need that intel in order to make a proper assessment of their defenses."

Anakin frowned as they waited. "Maybe we should try to look for him and provide aid?"

"And where exactly would we begin?" Obi-Wan pointed out. "I admire your willingness to help, my Padawan, but without a general location we can't possibly hope to find him."

"Yes Master…" Anakin replied, chided.

There was a flicker of light to their left. Anakin and Obi-Wan relaxing as A'den stepped out from behind cover and waved to them.

The two Jedi leapt off the debris and used the force to both soften and muffle their landings. "Sergeant, what's the deployment of the enemy forces?"

There wasn't time to ask if anything had happened.

"Tight defensive perimeter." A'den replied curtly, like his fellow Nulls, he wasn't particularly fond of Jedi, but had no issue talking to them when necessary. "Lots of pillboxes, bunkers, and turrets either in the open or hidden behind carefully placed bits of wreckage. Droid Fighters on standby and in a couple underground hangars, a few of the new Proton Cannons for heavy anti-air, more armor than the CIS knows what to do with, and a load of B1s, B2s, LR-57s, Dwarf Spider Droids, and Droidekas to boot. Don't have any exact locations since there's not exactly any decent maps of this _har__'palon_."

"Terrific." Obi-Wan muttered sarcastically. "Any of those new Commando Droids?"

"Commando what now?" A'den asked, confused.

Anakin raised an eyebrow. "You don't know? They're roughly on par with a Clone Commando, much deadlier and faster than a typical Battle Droid… At least one Commando squad so far found that out the hard way. Copper Squad I believe it was."

A'den looked down for a moment, contemplating that. "Sorry, been out of contact for a while, can't exactly receive transmissions when I'm right under the noses of the CIS leadership. How do I deal with these ones before they become a problem?"

"Well, if you see them, aim for the head, it's easier than trying to pierce their armor." Obi-Wan informed the Null. "Issue is there's rarely just one."

A'den nodded curtly as Obi-Wan checked his chrono. "The fleet should be arriving soon."

"They'll have an easy time, Dooku only has a token force of six _Munificents_ in orbit." Anakin said smugly.

"Sir, pardon the question, but why aren't we also hitting Secundus?" A'den asked candidly.

Better to be cordial than aggravate two Jedi unnecessarily and thus make the Nulls look even worse than Arca Barracks had already made them, A'den understood that much.

Karking Ordo, the crybaby, they were ARCs, nobody_ cared_ if they got a bit 'creative' with their orders so long as the mission was completed.

But he'd been outnumbered, the others wouldn't budge on not listening to anyone other than _Kal'buir_, and were too riled up by the threat of stasis and reprogramming to listen to reason otherwise.

The stupid things he did for his _vode_.

"Instructions from above, much to the annoyance of many in the assault force, but personally, I doubt we could simply end the war here with a stroke with Grievous running around elsewhere. A more pertinent question is what Dooku is digging up on Raxus Prime. After all, why divert so many units to defend a dig site in your own capitol system?" Obi-Wan replied, rubbing his chin as he did so.

A'den blinked, it _was_ odd that so many droids were devoted to defending some scrapheap.

Which meant that something immeasurably valuable was being dug up as they spoke.

He didn't like that one bit.

"Well, I suppose we'll just have to wait for reinforcements before making our next move." Obi-Wan muttered. "If everything goes to plan, they'll be landing within minutes."

* * *

**13:6:35 GRS**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Kelia watched the bridge windows depolarize as they jumped out of hyperspace, the Kestrel taking a point formation in the right wing of the fleet.

She didn't have her red bridge towers just yet, but the Kestrel was still a command vessel now.

"Sir! Six _Munificents_ in orbit, just as reported!" Sensors informed her.

Kelia grinned as the _Resolute _took center stage. "Stand by to fire torpedoes on flagship's command." She instructed weapons control.

There was a tense wait for a few moments, before the confirmation came through. "Fire!" She barked.

The ship vibrated under her feet as its usual ambient hum was punctuated by the thunder of the torpedo tubes firing, sending warheads streaking towards the waiting 'Star Frigates'.

Each of the _Venators_ fired a single full salvo from their tubes, sixty heavy torpedoes racing towards the CIS vessels.

The enemy warships opened fire, but to little avail, there were simply too many warheads for them to counter.

The Bothan sneered as she watched the guard flotilla die in short-lived balls of flame, the wreckage slowly being sucked in by the gravity well of the rusted orb below.

Turning to the helm, she nodded. "Alright, detach us from the fleet in concert with the _Hawk-Bat_, _Candaserri_, _Defiant_, and _Regency_. We'll bring some of the Chargers with us too, six to be exact, four _Arquitens_ as well."

"Sir!" Yap replied as he relayed the orders.

* * *

**Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Obi-Wan, Anakin, and A'den watched as a pair of LAAT/cs descended towards them, dropping off a pair of TX-130 fighter tanks before breaking towards the sky once again.

LAAT/is and cs, LAAB/e gunship bombers, starfighters, bombers, and a pair of assault ships backed by three _Venators _and their escorts descended towards the planet below, the larger vessels maintaining a substantial distance from the enemy facilities to avoid being shot down by the proton cannons.

* * *

Sabre felt his gunship rattle as laserfire, flak, and even a few missiles raced up towards the oncoming craft, the gunships and armor carriers of the 608th, 475th and 233rd Mobile Regiments and the 38th and 55th Strike Legions roaring in towards the LZ with bomber and fighter escort.

["Hold on! We've got incoming!"] Their pilot warned as the gunship shook from the shock of flak bursts.

To their left, an LAAT/c from the 475th Mobile Corps off the _Hawk-Bat_ simply blew apart in a black-orange fireball as a proton shell struck it directly in the cockpit, the TX-130 it was carrying flipping end over end after being blown free of the magnetic clamps before it slammed into the partially visible wreck of an Old Republic _Centurion_-class command cruiser as it fell and exploded on impact.

Sabre tapped his comms. "Pilot, get us down, now!"

["Copy that, we're just about at the drop point anyways!" The pilot replied as the LAAT/i descended, troop bay doors opening and the rear ramp lowering as it slowed, releasing the AT-RT carried aboard the craft in a paradrop fashion on a grav sled, which landed in concert with the rest of its platoon and move to secure the area even as the heavier armor and the artillery was dropped off.

Simultaneously, missiles streaked towards CIS lines from the mass driver launchers on the LAAT/is and the launchers mounted on the escorting fighters and Y-Wings to provide additional time for the ground troops to organize and to reduce casualties taken by the main forces.

Flashes lit up the CIS lines, though it was clear the droids still had plenty of fight in them as several unfortunate craft were blown from the sky by ground fire, forcing the others to wave off.

Vultures, racing up to face them, were met by the underwing air-to-air guided missiles from the main force of LAATs lifting off to return back to their carriers for the next load of troops, and many were shot down while the rest found themselves occupied by Torrents and _Cords_ in short order.

The gunship lurched as it suddenly stopped and quickly set down amongst its peers, allowing the infantry to rapidly from their gunships while the armored vehicles provided covering fire, with even more Clones disgorging from the troop bays of the AT-TEs, Bantha APCs, and AT-SEs while the AT-XTs arced proton mortars down on the enemy positions once their carriers were clear and away as they and the AT-RTs and AT-PWs provided cover fire for the slower heavy walkers and bulky APCs in concert with the nimble TX-130s, AT-RTs, and Z4-Z speeder bikes, which sped along the flanks of the main forces to prevent enemy fast attack units from attacking the Republic from the side or rear while the AT-TE and AV-7 gunners clambered into their seats.

General Be'ti ignited her saber even before her boots hit the ground, the cream furred Bothan leading her troops directly into combat as more now empty LAATs screamed into the sky and wheeled back towards the vessels that launched them.

Sabre felt his boots sink slightly into the mire and sludge slightly as his squad pressed forwards, droid armor now sending fire downrange towards them in earnest even as the walkers and tanks retaliated in kind while the AV-7s and heavy mortars mounted in the bays of some variants of the Bantha APC set up and began to fire ranging salvos towards the Separatist lines.

Sabre gestured towards a spot of cover. "Move! Set up the launchers there!" He shouted.

His squad fanned out and made for the position even as plasma rounds, laser bolts, and projectile mortar shells rained down on the main force, scattering the infantry and buffeting the walkers and fighter tanks.

Kipper aimed his PLX-1 at a distant HAG which was reorienting to fire at one of the AT-TEs and switched to top down attack mode.

"Clear backblast! Clear backblast!" He shouted over local comms.

His brothers dove clear and began firing their rifles towards distant droids, blue bolts answered in kind by red beams of coherent light and particle energy.

Thankfully most of the kriffing droids couldn't shoot for osik at this range though with their cheap optics and complete lack of scopes on most E-5 variants.

Not to mention the B2's focus on closer engagements.

"Backblast clear!" Sabre shouted as Kipper lowered his helmet's rangefinder.

"Copy that, firing." He said simply.

And then he depressed the trigger, sending a missile screaming out of the tube and arcing over the battlefield.

Sabre watched as one of the HAGs suddenly blossomed into a fireball seconds later, followed by another three, two AATs, a Snail tank, three gun towers, and four Homing Spiders as more missiles found their marks.

The droids weren't going to take this sitting down however.

To their left, AT-TE callsign Faamba 4-1 ground to a halt when a hit from a Heavy AAT's main gun penetrated its cockpit, killing both the driver and commander in one fell swoop as the command cabin was blown wide open and the walker reared back slightly from the shock of the blast before slumping to the ground on its front legs.

Yarder shouted something out in horror as he leaned over the side of his seat and watched smoke and fire lick up from between the forward laser cannons.

The laser cannon gunners and the loader for the main gun's ammo belt bailed out of the vehicle in a hurry while Yarder slid down the side of the tank's hull and dove for cover with them just before a Homing Spider's beam laser ripped into forward compartment and set off the mass driver's shell belt, which in turn touched off fuel, more shells, compressed oxygen for the life support system, and the ionized tibanna gas used to provide 'ammunition' for the laser cannons.

Sabre put his head down as the vehicle burned and secondary explosions ripped out from the doomed walker's hull as it sank further into the mire of scrap and sludge, now just one of the latest wrecks out of _countless_ ruined machines of varying size and scope covering the planet of Raxus Prime.

Blue and red bolts continued to zip back and forth as the Clones trudged ever closer to the droid positions in the distance, Glynn Be'ti's blue lightsaber illuminating her position even as a few droid snipers tried to concentrate on her, only to give away their positions and be cut to shreds by the Clones in retaliation.

Nonetheless, the Clones still suffered more and more losses, red beams from spider droids speared through some of the AT-SEs and AT-TEs with repeated hits, tearing them apart, while AATs knocked over AT-PWs and AT-PTs, AT-RTs simply vanished as missiles and heavy cannon shots blew them to smithereens and Clones were flung through the air like ragdolls as mortar and artillery rounds impacted around them, blowing craters out of the scrap and turning the very terrain into improvised frag mines.

The AT-XTs with their experimental deflector shields shrugged off much of the incoming fire, although they too were taking some losses.

And yet, the CIS wasn't getting of easy either, already Sabre could see dozens of pillars of smoke billowing into the sky courtesy of destroyed CIS vehicles, gun positions, and turrets.

But this wasn't going well, and their air support couldn't provide more effective coverage.

"Where the hell are those Commandos?" Sabre grunted as a blaster bolt whizzed over his head as he and his squad rushed for the next hardpoint to take cover behind.

* * *

"Y'know, when I volunteered to be technical support for you guys, I didn't expect to… Uh, actually follow you into combat?" Mineth said nervously as gunship _Harken_ suddenly pitched up to avoid colliding with something jutting out of the terrain, her new battle armor, based on stripped down and _heavily_ modified Katarn Armor intended for Judicial Special Forces units that'd been rolled into the GAR's SF branch, rattling as she hefted her new and still largely unfamiliar DC-17m and checked her helmet's filters to make sure she wouldn't breathe in any of the toxic fumes and particles coming off the planet's surface and extant in the atmosphere.

Not nearly as protective as the stuff the Deltas had and a bit too tightly fitting for Mineth's tastes, particularly the codpiece which she was sure was intended for _male_ soldiers because of how badly it chafed on her hips, because of the hastiness of the requisition, but she'd make it work.

"You'll get used to it… That, or you die." Sev uttered sardonically. "Maybe prove that you're more than just a pretty face and a set of female reproductive organs and you'll earn my respect."

"Stow it Oh-Seven." Fixer snapped at him, starting to get irritated with Sev's constant derision of Mineth, and not just because it was getting aggravating to hear him keep trash talking her incessantly like a cracked datadisk either.

Odd, he'd have to ask someone about that later.

"Getting defensive about your girlfriend?" Delta Squad's sniper snarked back. "Gee, didn't think someone as tightly wound as you could feel affection Four-Oh."

"Knock it off, the both of you." Boss growled as Scorch shifted uncomfortably, unused to Fixer being so combative about… Well, _anything_. "I hear another word about this, and I'll have Vau set up a private bout with the both of you." He threatened.

"Understood Three-Eight." Fixer said quickly, somewhat ashamed at losing his cool.

"Fine…" Sev snarled after a moment.

Scorch looked at Mineth, for a moment she wondered if he blamed her for what was going on.

["Listen, don't let Sev get to ya… He's… He doesn't like introducing new people into the group, thinks it makes us more like the Commandos who were merged into new squads after theirs suffered losses. He just doesn't want to feel like we're _not_ the best."] Delta Squad's demolitionist assured her after opening a two-way comm channel to her headset.

The Bothan nodded in reply.

["Deltas, you're approaching the drop point, your current objective is for you and your new techie to head in and rendezvous with the Bad Batch and Nulls 11 and 12 and destroy the generators powering the heavy guns and shields defending the enemy fortress before moving on to sabotage a cluster of proton cannons to open a hole in the flak field for our bombers to exploit."] CC-01/425 informed them over comms. ["Time is of the essence Commandos, hit 'em fast and hit 'em hard."]

With that, the transmission ended and the gunship's doors opened.

"Ever fast-roped from a lartie before?" Sev asked Mineth as a set of cables were flung out of a mechanism mounted at the top of the troop bay and down the sides.

"N… No…?" She admitted nervously.

"Well, either learn fast or hope you land on something soft enough to _not_ break your bones and cause massive internal hemorrhaging then." Sev replied candidly.

Well, at least he was being honest this time.

She grabbed the cable next to Fixer after stowing her rifle on her backpack, trying to keep calm.

"You alright? Your heartrate is spiking on your vitals." Fixer inquired with some concern.

"Just nervous…" She replied as she shakily held onto the cable.

"Don't worry, just let the armor and the shielding on the gloves take the friction and you'll be fine." Delta Squad's slicer assured her, gently patting her on the shoulder plate.

Mineth nodded.

["Drop!"] The pilot snapped over their comms.

The five of them kicked off backwards and slid down the cables, Mineth trying to alternatively hold on for dear life and not hold on so tightly she stopped on the line.

She felt ground crunch and squish simultaneously underneath her boots and shakily stumbled forwards to try and transfer her remaining momentum, drawing her blaster in the process.

The Commandos didn't seem perturbed at all by the sudden deceleration for their part, though they did stop and allow her to get her bearings as the lines retracted and the gunship flew off.

"Alright, Lance Corporal Lya'wen, you're provisionally codenamed as Delta Eight-Six for this operation for the sake of brevity." Boss informed her as they turned and began to make their way to the waypoint marked on their HUDs, the battle echoing all around them as they moved in. "Keep it tight and watch yourselves Deltas, this entire planet is _perfect_ for mounting ambushes." He warned. "And don't get eaten by any of the garbage worms or ripped apart by scavenger droids because you got sloppy either."

Mineth gulped and stuck close to Fixer as they moved further and further into the maze of junk and wreckage, long rusted out ships, beams of metal, and even discarded _buildings_ casting eerie shadows over the five as they headed towards their objective, an imposing presence further punctuated by the distant buzz of laserfire and the faint thumps of explosions.

* * *

**AN: And scene.**

**Raxus Prime is one of the iffier planets in the original Clone Wars game, lacking the replayability of Geonosis, the first parts of Thule, and most of Rhen Var and Alaris Prime in my opinion.**

**Nonetheless, it's a vital portion of not only the greater Clone Wars as a whole, but also Boba Fett's story.**

**Naturally we probably won't much of him until it's relevant, since I'm focusing on a few small groups of characters at a time in the grand scheme of the war.**

**Guess you can make epic battles while also being intensely character focused, though perhaps not with a TV budget.**

**Oh, yeah, the Heavy AAT is from Galactic Battlegrounds while the Armored Scout Platform or ASP was a cut concept vehicle from the 2002 Clone Wars game that got canonized at the 11th hour in legends by the Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.**


	14. DR: The Battle of Raxus Prime

**AN: Chapter 14, beginning attack run.**

**Raxus Prime ultimately was a bit fun for me to write, being a three-parter and all.**

**Did get a bit of criticism from a review that I didn't have enough of the CIS perspective during the battles (apologies Help I have No Social Life, your username is indeed a bit unwieldy and hard to shorten), so I addressed that where appropriate.**

* * *

_**"Part of me still wonders why we didn't just decapitate the CIS then and there... It was so easy, we had the forces in the theatre to take Secundus, at least for a few hours, and the blow to Separatist civilian morale would likely have forced them to do something drastic that would've cost them even more troops at a delicate period... But I digress, orders were orders, and we had a different objective at the**** time, one where we found ourselves racing against the clock as it became clearer and clearer to Secundus that we didn't intend to draw off their fleet for an invasion force. And as much as I loathe to admit it... We probably wouldn't have made it offworld without Los'ean's tactical ingenuity...**"**-**_**Admiral Priv Gressler, Imperial Navy.**

* * *

**13:6:35 GRS**

**Confederate Congress Building, Raxus Secundus, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

"ORDER, THERE WILL BE ORDER!" Bec Lawise shouted over the bickering Separatist senators and Corporate Guild representatives, Commando Droids bearing the markings of the Confederate Senate Guard standing at attention at key points around the chamber.

"With all due respect speaker Lawise, there's a Republic Fleet headed by a battlecruiser in our _capitol system_!" A human senator protested. "There's already enough civil unrest, including numerous bank runs and such widespread looting from the markets that we've had to deploy the planetary garrison en-masse because the police are simply overwhelmed by the panic!" He exclaimed pointedly.

Mina Bonteri, representative of Onderon, frowned as she exchanged a glance with Amita Fonit, the Gossam simply shaking her head at her human counterpart.

The debate had been ongoing since the emergency session had been called to meeting, everyone was panicking and nobody knew who was supposed to be in charge of the defenses.

"And what of our defense fleet, surely even a fraction of our current three-hundred ships should be sufficient to drive them from the system!" Senator Voe Atell pointed out.

"And if they're a _diversionary_ force?" The human senator countered. "If a battlecruiser has been deployed who's to say more ships aren't waiting to launch a decapitation strike against us the moment the fleet breaks formation and weakens the defensive sphere!? None of this would've happened if Grievous hadn't poached seventy percent of the fleet for his latest offensive! After the losses at Muunilinst we can't afford to waste ships and platforms playing mind games with the Republic Navy until the shipyards can deliver replacements!"

Voe fell silent, her point effectively countered. "And what of Count Dooku? He's on Raxus Prime, is there any word of his status?" She asked warily after a few moments.

The Siniteen Speaker shook his head. "None, the Republic is jamming all transmissions, we have absolutely no idea what's going on down there."

The entire hall quieted down to nervous chatter at that.

If Dooku fell there, the CIS would likely fragment without his leadership, Grievous was no politician and would likely alienate most of their supporters through his bluntness despite his tactical, strategic, and management acumen.

To say nothing of Sev'rance Tann's arrogance, Durge's psychosis, and whatever this Asajj Ventress was supposed to be.

And if the CIS fragmented, most of the trade guilds would be quick to wash their hands of the affair and claim they'd been strongarmed into joining the Confederacy, perhaps offering immense discounts to the victorious Republic and selling out their peers who remained behind in exchange for leniency from prosecution.

Bec Lawise whispered to an aide. "Contact General Tann and have her gather a flotilla to drive the Republic out of the system. Do it quickly." He hissed.

The aide nodded and quickly left the chamber.

The Siniteen clenched his fists, if this _was_ a diversion, Tann's assault might draw out Republic reinforcements too early.

If it wasn't... Then they could safely deploy part of the fleet.

Either way, they were about to learn _something_.

* * *

**13:6:35 GRS**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Kelia watched on the holotank as the ground forces became bogged down in a slugging match with the defending droids. "Any report on Kenobi and Skywalker?" She asked warily.

Perth nodded, switching the holomap to show a group of AT-TEs, AT-XTs, AT-SEs, AT-RTs, RTT-04s, AAV-3s, and TX-130s that were moving up the relatively undefended flanks with little opposition. "They're advancing, but it's taking some time before they can engage the main enemy defense line."

"And the commandos?"

"Advancing on schedule according to their last report." Her XO acknowledged.

Kelia sighed as she watched her fighters patrol the perimeter airspace.

"I want ventral guns on high alert. I don't like the quiet around us and I'm worried we could get shot from below." She ordered.

"Sir!"

* * *

**13:6:35 GRS**

**Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Dooku sipped at his tea as he watched the Republic ground troops advance on his fortress.

A shame so many assets had to be expended on this... But it was well worth the cost. The device had already been excavated and was being loaded onto a flatbed transport to be loaded aboard the _Hardcell_ at the site.

The one lingering issue was Fett's brat, whom had vanished from his quarters and was apparently spotted last in the company of the ARC Trooper that had been seen snooping around.

Dros Dooku would play his little game, and then teach him why some stones are better left unturned.

_Permanently_.

"Cydon." He said as he tapped a button on his desk. "When you find Fett, bring him to me."

["Understood."] The Chistori bounty hunter replied swiftly before Dooku cut the line by releasing his finger.

A shame that Jango's true progeny had to meet such a fate... Oh well, what could be done?

* * *

Ordo slowly picked his way through paths in the mountains of junk with the Bad Batch, whom glanced around warily from time to time, Hunter leading them with Wrecker trailing.

"So, you ever decide to stop being some bratty thug who goes around and stuffs other children's' heads in toilets because they insulted your _buir_ with the ages old 'my dad could beat your dad argument'?" Crosshair snarked at Ordo. "Because I'm pretty sure that Jango was damn near ready to kill _you _if you actually hurt Boba, and let me say, if they both died, that might've left _Vau_ in charge out of seniority."

"Crosshair. Knock it off." Hunter warned, causing the sniper to drop the subject.

Ordo's hand tightened on the grip of his WESTAR.

The entire incident had been precipitated by Boba claiming Jango could beat Kal in a fight… And given Kal's bum leg and the fact that Jango not only endured being enslaved for a time, but came back _stronger_ from it, on top of being able to kill _Jedi_ with his bare hands when sufficiently enraged…

Jango would likely have won, hands down… As much as Ordo hated to admit it.

He also hated to admit that Boba probably hated the Nulls now thanks to him being a stupid _shabuir_.

If he could go back in time, he'd probably beat his past self black and blue while informing him of everything he'd done wrong.

Wait, scratch that… That'd just make him even _less_ likely to listen.

Yeah, maybe seeking mental help was something he could put on his bucket list of things he needed to do before he died.

Right above killing Vau's damned strill.

Hunter put a hand up. "Droids, full platoon, two-hundred meters up the trail. Twenty-four B1s, twelve B2s." He informed them.

"The hell?" Ordo whispered.

"Hunter has a unique ability to sense disruptions in a planet's magnetic field, accurate enough to ID droids by model even if he focuses." Tech informed the confused ARC.

"Take cover positions, they're coming this way."

"Have we been found?" Wrecker asked warily.

"Don't know, just make yourselves look like scrap. Wrecker, hide Tech and lapstrill here." He ordered.

Ordo grumbled at the continual referring to him as a strill, there was no way the Batchers _didn't_ know the history between him and Mird so it was clear they did it to get under his skin.

Crosshair and Hunter pressed themselves into the junk while Wrecker bodily grabbed a section of wreckage and opened it for Ordo and Tech to hide in.

Ordo's nose scrunched up behind his helmet before he climbed into the space with Tech, both drawing their weapons as Wrecker replaced the bit of debris, leaving it loose enough that they could kick it open and start shooting if need be.

The area became silent aside from the perpetual groans of metals and plastics and the thumps of distant explosions before the dull clanks of Battle Droids marching began to become audible over the din.

Eventually the noise passed and the five extracted themselves from the wreckage.

None of the Seppies had stopped to investigate, which suited Ordo just fine.

"Gonna need to clean my armor after this…" Wrecker groused as they continued onwards, Ordo glancing up warily as a _Cord_ being chased by a pair of Vultures buzzed over their pathway, the droids in turn being pursued by a trio of _Cords_.

* * *

["I've got two on my six, I can't shake 'em!"]

["Karking hell Slippy… Fox, go get 'em."] CP-21/1993, Peppy, grumbled as the lead _Cord_ of Lylat Squadron shot forwards.

["Look at him show off…"] CP-22/1996, Falco, sneered. ["Just you wait _ner vod_, I'll beat your score soon enough."]

"Maybe if you two would stop yapping and _help_, I could get this over with faster..." CP-27/1997, Fox, remarked as he spun his fighter about after overshooting the vultures and blew them both out of the sky before forming up on Lylat Four's wing.

["Thanks _vod_, I thought I was a goner. Rear shields were almost down."]

["See, this is why they should've left you in engineering like the good little grease monkey you are."] Falco groaned as they formed back up.

"Can it Falco, we've got incoming." Fox ordered as he spotted a dozen Vultures on his scopes.

["Good, a fair fekking fight!"]

He chuckled as they spread out and headed into the merge even as a flight of Torrents from Strider joined the melee followed by six more Vultures.

All-in-all, it was a good day so far.

["Hey, Lylats, betcha we can get more kills than you!"] Someone from Mage, Count probably, taunted as more and more fighters spun into the merge.

Oh, it was _on_ now.

Grinning behind his helmet, Fox slotted in on a freshly arriving Crow light droid fighter, and blasted away, sending it careening towards the ground while trailing smoke and flame.

He loved his damn job.

* * *

Mineth felt her deece buck against her right bicep as she and Delta Squad fired away at a squad of Droids manning a pair of pillboxes fitted with repeating blaster turrets just outside an entrance to the internal sectors of the defensive shield generators.

Just the latest lightfight in a series of them leading up to their current location.

Mineth nonetheless thanked the stars she hadn't been hit, lacking the bacta processing implants the Commandos had would mean that any decent wound on her would jeopardize her combat effectiveness.

"Scorch!" Boss snapped at his demolitionist. "'Rearrange' that fortification on the left!" He barked in order.

"Working on it Three-Eight, but-" Scorch grunted as a Dwarf Spider Droid popped up and began blasting away, backed by six B2s, which sprayed away with their arm mounted rapid-fire blasters. "Well, the droids have _other_ ideas."

Sev and Fixer kept hammering away, trying to buy Scorch enough respite to get the launcher up.

A rocket whizzed past Boss, fired by a B2. "Watch out for those kriffing wrist rockets!" He snapped at his team as he blasted the offending droid in the cranium, another marching up from behind cover to take its place.

Mineth saw a B1 fling something towards their lines, with the object arcing towards Fixer, whom was blasting away at one of the exposed Supers. "GRENADE!" She shouted before grabbing him by the arm and pulling him to the ground seconds before it detonated in a brilliant burst of energy and fire.

The cover took most of the blast thankfully.

She flushed behind her helmet as she realized Fixer was lying on top of her.

"_Right, flustered schoolgirl later, shooting droids _now_."_ She thought as they got back up, Fixer firing away again as Mineth glanced at his pack and then pulled out her anti-armor attachment for the DC-17m, swapping it to the launcher and then flipping up the attached manual grenade sight.

Just like with the older launcher types… Right?

Once she'd aimed properly, the Bothan pulled the trigger just as a near miss caused her to flinch slightly and watched as the anti-armor round soared up to one of the fortifications and detonated on part of the duracrete structure just above the gun slit.

"Fierfek!" She hissed under her breath.

The gun kept firing, though the barrels had been damaged apparently given the suddenly skewed line of fire the weapon had.

Then something _exploded_ inside the pillbox a few seconds later, sending smoke and licks of fire spewing out of the gunport.

The emplacement had apparently overheated and exploded as a result of the damage it had suffered, which seemed to have knocked out its cooling system.

Droids were apparently too stupid to notice that.

"Nice one!" Scorch appraised, giving her a thumbs up as he readied the PLX-1 and fired a rocket into the Spider Droid, setting off its reactor and bowling over the B2s in the process, Boss and Sev each tossing a detonator into the chaos and putting the droids down for good.

A second rocket silenced the other repeating blaster, leaving a few B1s firing from behind cover with E-5 rifles and E-5C repeating blaster rifles, which were promptly put down with relative ease with head and torso shots.

"Deltas, take offensive formation." Boss ordered, the others moving into a wedge behind him as they advanced on the entrance to the generator complex. "Scorch, I think this area needs a bigger doorway." He remarked as he designated spot on the door for Scorch to place a charge.

Scorch smirked behind this helmet. "Yes sir." The demolitionist remarked cheerfully as he headed over to the marked spot while Boss and the others fanned out into cover and kept a wary eye out for other hostiles.

Boss tapped his helmet, initiating comms. "Advisor, we're about to enter the complex, any status on the Batch and Ordo?"

["They're moving to link up with Sergeant A'den near the main entrance, enemy forces have deployed en-masse in the area however, so you're in deep with no cover for the moment Deltas."]

"Copy that, what's the status on the main force?"

["Casualties are piling up, but they're giving as good or better than they're getting. General Kenobi's assault companies are moving up on the flank, but those shielded walls are going to roadblock them if the generators aren't taken out."]

"Roger, you heard him Deltas, we're on the clock!" Boss informed the others.

"And, _done_." Scorch piped up as he broke from the door and gave boss a thumbs up. "Charge is set to your controls Three-Eight."

Boss squawked his comms twice. "Get clear!" He barked, the others taking cover behind defensive walls.

He hit the switch, blowing the charge and splitting the door wide open.

"Go, go, go!" Boss shouted as the five of them rushed through the threshold.

And into another karking lightfight with yet more B1s.

This day just never got any better.

* * *

Sabre lined up his sights on a distant Command Battle Droid and pulled the trigger, blowing its head clean off and throwing the droid ranks into confusion.

He moved on to a heavy battle droid, distinguished by its grey trim markings and E-5C repeating rifle, and tore its neck in half with a bolt, watching as it fell while spraying fire into it squad and downing three more B1s before the B2s turned on it and blasted it into scrap as a result of the post-mortem friendly fire.

Stupid clankers.

He blinked as he spotted as two B1 with orange markings and a pair of light repeating blasters for forearms stepped out from behind cover and knelt on one knee, spraying bolts towards his position even as regular and heavy B1s and the Supers followed suit and joined them in firing on the same vector.

He ducked his head down behind the wing of a long wrecked _Rendaran_-class assault shuttle as the droids continued hailing fire towards his position, spearing a Clone rushing for the piece of cover through the visor and causing him to topple forwards with his visor shattered, the man behind _him_ spinning to the ground as a bolt hit him right in the shoulder and laying there, groaning in pain.

The third man took a direct shot to the chest, slapped at the hole in his armor in surprise as his rifle fell from his hands, and then took three more while he was offering a maximum target profile to the enemy's suppressive fire, falling backwards with smoke rising from his chestplate.

The rest of them went prone almost immediately, crawling the rest of the way to cover.

Sabre winced at the mounting losses. "We've got an issue with an enemy bunker exit at marker nine-six! Someone take it out" He barked into his comms.

AT-XT callsign Tauntaun 4-3 promptly swiveled its head to face the threat and fired a pair of proton mortar shells from the 'ear' launchers that stuck out from behind their armored flap covers, the blue purple shells slamming down onto the position just as a fresh platoon of droids marched out from the exit to the shelter that the Fire Support B1s were covering.

A brilliant blue-white explosion flared up, before secondary blasts chained off a now unstable power conduit and blew a large section of the wall clean open, claiming four defense turrets and crushing six Homing Spiders, a Proton Cannon, and two HAGs with the debris.

"Great shot Lancer!" Sabre shouted over his comlink to the gunner of the AT-XT as some of the TX-130s, speeder bikes, and AT-RTs used the gap in the defense line to storm forwards, a company of GAT Fighter Tanks and STAP moving to intercept them.

The heavier walkers moved up again and began hammering the CIS positions even harder as the AV-7s and mortars rained fired down upon the droids.

Then one of the proton cannons lowered its barrel and fired, gutting an AT-SE by flinging a shell clean through it.

The resulting fireball bowled over the men around the medium walker.

Some of them didn't get back up.

"Karking damnit! We need those damn cannons knocked out!" Someone howled over the din of blasterfire and heavy artillery.

Sabre didn't disagree in the slightest, but those bunkers the cannons were hiding under protected them from the worst of their artillery fire by shields.

An airstrike could potentially rip them clean open, but none of their ships or bombers could get close enough until the Commandos took out the AA emplacement to the north-west.

He grimaced, this wasn't looking any better than it had been a few minutes ago.

* * *

Kursk, trudging through the mud not far behind General Be'ti, blinked as he saw something _new_ clamber out from a divot hidden among the CIS lines.

An OG-10 Heavy Homing Spider, with its two underslung rotary heavy laser cannons spooling up and taking aim at the Jedi.

Rushing forwards, he tackled the Bothan into the sludge and grime moments before the droid opened fire, the other Clones hitting the deck as well as bolts thundered over their heads, coming far more furiously than any Jedi could hope to deflect.

Behind them, an AT-PW vanished as the light walker was simply ripped apart by the hail of laserfire, reducing it to shattered debris attached to a pair of legs which toppled backwards into the pond of sludge it had been striding through.

Several unfortunate Clones had their torsos completely obliterated by the barrage, chunks of their arms flying off while their legs flopped to the ground in various directions and laid there, smoldering.

The torrent finally ended, and he peered upwards.

Smoke poured off the hot barrels of the spider droid's weapons as it withdrew back into cover to allow them to cool.

He felt General Be'ti shove him off her and peer out over the droid lines after picking up her now inactive lightsaber from where it had fallen in the panic. "Well… That's going to be an issue." She growled angrily, starting to get more and more frustrated with the offensive. "Focus that Heavy Spider down!" She snapped over her comms.

["Sir yes sir!" A Clone officer replied, she couldn't tell who it was over the din, and it didn't matter at the moment.

Switching channels, she commed Obi-Wan. "Kenobi! Where the hell are you?"

["We're making good progress, but the main shield walls are holding us back."] He replied just as a _second_ OG-10 emerged from its hidey-hole, this one further to the south of the first.

An AT-TE promptly slammed a mass driver shell into its spherical main body, rupturing it and blowing the machine apart as its reactor was breached.

The first spider suffered the same fate, as it was hit by an AV-7's plasma round that arced down upon it while in cover, a burst of fire ripping up from the ground, channeled by the sides of the firing pit it had been hiding in.

That was enough of _that_ nonsense for one day, she wasn't going to play 'Whack a Ranat' with Spider Droids if she could help it.

"Well, what now?" He asked the Jedi.

"Hope those commandos can get through." She replied candidly enough as she brushed something off her chestplate.

Like a few Jedi, she had the sense to wear at least partial armor, something Kursk appreciated.

"So do I sir, so do I." Kursk muttered.

* * *

Fixer's DC-17 blazed away at a group of Geonosian Warriors as they stormed towards Delta Squad.

"It's always gotta be fekking Geonosians." Boss snarled as he blew the brains out of a warrior further up the hallway, blaster bolts and sonic blasts whipping past the Republic team.

Mineth, having ran the power pack for her DC-17m dry and with no time to reload, had drawn her DC-15 pistol, continuing to blast away at the incoming tide of bugs with her free hand.

In desperation, Boss tossed a sonic grenade at the swarm, managing to kill them all.

Then there was silence, allowing the five to catch their breath.

"Good throw Three-Eight." Fixer appraised as Mineth holstered her pistol and exchanged power packs for her rifle.

"It's Raxus Prime you said, there'd be no kriffing Geonosians you said." Sev grumbled as he strode past Scorch, kicking one of the Geonosians in the process.

Scorch looked back at the other three, whom shook their heads at him.

"What?"

Boss tapped Scorch on the shoulder. "Next time, don't jinx us Six-Two." He said flatly as he, Fixer, and Mineth passed him.

Scorch rolled his eyes behind his visor, he wasn't going to live this one down any time soon.

* * *

Ordo slotted another B1 into his sights and sent a bolt through its cranial unit, the sparking droid going down in a heap even as he moved to the next damned clanker.

Then a single bolt whipped through the trash and scrap and downed twenty B1s as it zigzagged off the surroundings before dissipating.

"Beat that lapstrill." Crosshair snarked as he moved on to his next target.

Ordo rolled his eyes and continued shooting, downing droids at a steady and consistent clip.

It was almost _relaxing _to him, certainly cathartic for his anger at the least.

Then a shrieking B1 battle droid flew over them as Wrecker cackled madly from ahead.

The crazy _di'kut _had _leapt _into a Separatist formation, the Clone then picking up a second hapless B1 to use as a club after getting their attention by tossing the first, bowling over a dozen B1s over, with the hapless the droid being used as a weapon screaming in terror up until its head was flung off on impact with a Super Battle Droid.

A near perfect grenade lob courtesy of Tech fried it and the three next to it as the droid popper went off, the techie of the Batchers hosing them down with his pistols to ensure they didn't get back up.

Hunter, meanwhile, didn't seem like he was doing much, but his uncanny ability to clamber over terrain meant he had a good vantage point to rain fire down on the droids from the hull of a partially corroded Neo Crusader Q-Carrier dropship, whittling down their numbers with his DC-17m before the others even had a line of fire on the enemy troops.

More droids, approximately two platoons, stormed out of the exit. Wrecker, choosing practicality over fun, unslinged his cip-quad and laid down a fusillade of blaster bolts upon them with the others joining in, wiping out the B1s in seconds, with the B2s following them not long after.

Ordo lowered his WESTAR as the last B1, which was now _politely_ asking that they surrender while sounding like it was about to have a nervous breakdown, was simply shot in the head by Tech.

Karking hell, he had to admit, the Batchers worked fast.

"Check sectors." Hunter instructed.

All three of the other Bad Batchers reported clear after a few moments.

Ordo finally piped up as well. "Clear." He reported.

Part of him wondered if the Bad Batch had ever actually taken the Nulls seriously during training.

The scary part was that they might not have.

An ARC Sergeant leapt off a bit of debris behind him, Ordo spinning around to face him. "Ordo? The kriff are you doing out here?" A'den asked, surprised to see his brother Null present. "Didn't think you'd ever leave Triple Zero without _Kal'buir_."

Ordo gently slapped his brother on the shoulder. "Doing some fieldwork for a change… Some thinking too."

"About whether or not _Kal'buir_ made some mistakes when raising us, like making us the standouts instead of trying to find a way to balance us being Mandos with us also being soldiers like he did for the Commandos? Stuff like that?" A'den asked in a hushed voice.

"Yeah… Why?"

"I've been thinking about it too, especially after I stumbled across Boba."

Ordo's hackles rose. "Boba? Here?"

"Yeah, found him snooping around the dig site, tried to warn the little _di'kut_ that he shouldn't be doing that. Least I could do after you shoved his head in a toilet. But I lost track of him after a bunch of kriffing clankers started shooting at me, so he could be _anywhere_ by now." A'den explained, shaking his head. "Methinks he came here because Dooku was present, didn't deny he was here when I brought it up, so that's as good a form of confirmation as any."

"Well, at least we have a lead on Boba for-"

"Ordo, I'm not going to help bring him back to _Kal'buir_, it's not our choice. It's _his_. We have no right and for all we know, Jango prepped something for him in the very likely event he was killed on a mission." A'den pointed out.

Neither mentioned the part where that scenario ended up happening before Boba's very eyes, though both understood that Jango made his choice when he descended to the floor of the Petranaki Arena that day.

Ordo nodded begrudgingly, seeing the logic. "_Kal'buir_ won't like that."

"Well, like I said, I lost track of him when he ran off while droids were shooting at me, not exactly entirely my fault. So don't go siccing Kom'rk on me." He half-joked.

Ordo rolled his eyes as he turned to look at the Bad Batch as they prepped charges to blow into the facility.

"Working with the Batchers? Strange Galaxy, isn't it?" A'den joked.

Ordo sighed. "It's been an experience." He admitted.

"Hey! Lapstrills, get over here, the fun's about to begin!" Wrecker shouted from afar.

"Whatever, let's get going." A'den said with a shrug as he hefted his Valken-38 as they strode over to the doors and aimed their weapons at the doorway as well.

Tech nodded at Hunter, whom blew the charges, allowing the six of them to breach into the facility as soon as the debris cleared their path.

And right into a waiting platoon of thirty-odd droids, B1s and B2s, backed by an Advanced Dwarf Spider and a pair of Droidekas, which all turned to stare at the Clones in seeming confusion.

"Ahah _yeah_! Now we're talking!" Wrecker laughed with unnerving amounts of glee as he pulled out his Plex launcher.

"Oh no." A'den uttered softly as the Bad Batch's heavy weapons specialist fired a rocket.

And then all hell broke loose.

* * *

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

"Looks like both teams have breached the facility." Perth noted as they watched the battle progress.

Kelia said nothing, feeling helpless given the bombers crammed aboard her ship were waiting for the all-clear to begin runs on the enemy positions.

"What's the status of the battle upstairs?" She asked warily.

"So far a few piecemeal CIS vessels from out-system, the rest are holding position around Raxus Secundus, possibly thinking we're a feint." Her XO replied. "Personally, I think they don't want to deal with that _Praetor_." Perth chuckled.

The Bothan let out a sigh of relief. "Right, gotta stop worrying so much… Estimated time until the shields go down?"

"Shouldn't be long now… What're you thinking?"

She tapped a control on the holotable. "I want six gunship bombers and four gunships from the _Candaserri's_ low-level strike group to help clear the way for Kenobi and Skywalker, every second they're delayed is another we can't afford to stick around."

"With the Proton Cannons up? That's risky sir."

"It's our best bet so far, they're getting hammered and the fighter tanks and AT-RTs can't keep their flanks clear forever."

"Understood. I'll relay the orders Commodore."

Commodore… Still felt weird being called that, like there wasn't something quite right about it compared to Captain.

Maybe it was the responsibilities? It was so much easier when she was only immediately responsible for her ship and crew.

* * *

**Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Scorch hummed to himself as he set a charge on a power conduit leading to the main shields, the others watching his flanks to make sure everything was clear. "Set the anti-tamper failsafe..." He muttered to himself. "Code is four-two-one dash three-two-seven..."

An explosion shook the corridor, causing the lights to flicker. "The kriff?" Sev whispered.

"Must be the others, they're sure making up for lost time." Fixer observed.

"Yeah, well they didn't have to deal with a _pair_ of Advanced Dwarf Spiders backed by clankers and Geonosian Elites." Sev snarked back at Fixer as he thumbed at the two wrecked A-DSDs which sat in smoldering heaps down the hallway, the destroyed B1s, B2s, and dead Geonosians littered around them.

Boss waved his hand. "Stow it Oh-Seven. We can compare who got it worse after debrief" He said before turning to Mineth after noticing she was breathing _much_ heavier than the Commandos. "You holding up okay Eight-Six?"

"Yeah… Bit exhausted though." The Bothan admitted, leaning slightly against a power box as she panted, trying to catch her breath while gazing down the corridor.

"Not having the genetic strength enhancements or endurance increases will do that." Fixer noted idly as Scorch mumbled something about wire colors.

"Three-Eight, are we _really _sure he knows what he's doing? Or is he just doing this to get on my nerves?" Sev groused.

"What do you think Oh-Seven?" Boss remarked sarcastically as he turned back to watching the perimeter.

"Aaand… Done… Might want to get well clear of this Three-Eight, when she goes, she'll go up faster than Ordo's temper when someone insults Kal." Scorch snipped idly.

"Nice one." Sev chuckled.

Fixer rolled his eyes behind his helmet as Boss waved them on to a safe area.

"I'll enable the timer, you set it to a tamper-proof?" Delta Squad's leader inquired.

"Duh, what do you think I am, an idiot?" Scorch replied as he rapped his knuckle against his helmet.

"Yes." Sev uttered dryly as he walked past them, Mineth and Fixer in tow.

"You kinda walked into that one." The Bothan said with a helpless shrug at the dumbfounded Scorch while Fixer simply shook his head.

Boss sighed and set the timer before he and Scorch followed.

* * *

Mineth and Fixer peered out of a hatch a few minutes later, watching B1s, both guards and ammo loading crews, amble about lazily as anti-air turrets and Proton Cannons swept their watch across the sky, several droids using electrobinoculars to try and ID targets visually.

No B2s, but a pair of basic DSD1 Dwarf Spiders were watching the perimeter alongside an AST.

Mineth looked at her rifle, then at the stack of Proton shells, then at her rifle, then back at the close proximity each cannon had to eachother.

Then she saw the shells glowed faintly.

They were armed.

Stupid and lazy.

"Fixer."

"Yes?" He said as he looked at her.

"Tell Scorch I'm sorry he didn't get to see the explosion."

"Wait, wha-"

Before he could stop her, the Bothan slammed the lid open and swept fire across the area in front of her before Fixer quickly pulled her back down into the access shaft on reflex after several bolts hit the ammo stockpiles.

The nearest droids were mid-spin to see what was going on when everything went to hell.

An immense roar sounded as the cannons and their ammo went up, those piles of munitions she hadn't shot being triggered by the chain of explosions as they tumbled back down the shaft, flames licking at their armor before fading out as they rolled to a stop.

Boss facepalmed, Sev looked mildly amused.

"That was certainly... Inspired..." Fixer muttered as Mineth chuckled sheepishly

And Scorch was positively _ecstatic_. "WE'RE KEEPING HER!" He shouted happily as the two stood up.

"Great, now there's _two_ of them." Sev muttered, though his tone wasn't exactly disapproving.

"Alright, pack it in Deltas, let's get to the RV point before the charge takes us next." Boss ordered.

And with that, they moved on.

* * *

Ordo and A'den watched from one corner as the Bad Batch set up for their multi-vector attack on the gun position set in a clearing amidst the scrap piles, which was nearly identical to the one Delta Squad would hit.

Each of them waited for the signal.

And then the ground shook, causing the droids to look in the general direction of the explosion Mineth just caused, smoke starting to billow into the sky from the ruined AA position.

"What was that!?" One of the guard droids asked while gesticulating wildly at the smoke.

"I don't know. Sergeant, take a squad and go check it out." A B1 Commander ordered, gesturing at an infantry B1.

"Roger roger." They replied before waving a group of ten droids to follow it, the squad stomping off to go investigate the explosion.

Well… That made their jobs a bit easier…

["Scorpion."] Hunter called out over comms once the squad was gone.

And then all hell broke loose as Wrecker emerged from behind cover, firing his cip-quad with one hand and holding his Plex launcher with the other, yelling at the top of his lungs as he cut down a swath of droids with his spray of fire.

Tech lobbed an anti-armor charge at the AST, which was turning around to engage Wrecker with its twin laser cannons, with a grenade launcher.

Crosshair promptly shot the explosive, which detonated, critically damaging the vehicle while simultaneously shredding the droid tank crewer manning it, the Scout Tank immediately dropping to the ground as its repulsors failed.

Hunter, Ordo, and A'den rained down blasterfire on the B1s, taking out the gunners and spotters for the Proton Cannons and AA guns before moving on to the rank and file droids now trying to re-organize.

Wrecker continued hosing down the droids, scoring most of the kills against the scattered B1s.

He fired a rocket into the Spider Droids as they attempted to suppress Hunter, blowing one of them up, its explosion triggering the self-destruct charges on the second and wiping it out as well.

In the chaos, as one of the droids went down, it hammered its finer on the trigger of its E-5, the blaster spraying wildly and slamming bolts into a pyramidal stack of shells, setting the armed warheads and their explosive propellant charges off and initiating a chain reaction throughout the entire area.

The ARCs and the Bad Batch ducked down behind cover as a brilliant explosion buffeted them, Wrecker laughing loudly as he peered out and watched the flames rise higher around the short-lived mushroom clouds made by the ammo stocks detonating.

"Well, that's one way to do it." Ordo muttered. "_Kestrel_, this is Team 1, we've taken out our assigned AA position and are moving to the rendezvous." He reported.

["Roger that, we're vectoring bombers through the hole you and Delta just punched into the grid. Stay safe Captain."] A Clone Comms Officer replied shortly.

* * *

The charge mounted onto the conduit by Scorch suddenly clicked from two minutes to zero as a pair of Geonosians and a B1 EOD specialist tried to pry it free of the reactor lines it was attached to.

The results were nothing short of catastrophic, the two worker drones and the droid being flash atomized in a split-second before the conduit ruptured, sending fire blazing down the corridors and out various vents, access hatches, and doorways leading to the surface.

Volatile reactants inside the line went up in an immense conflagration, trailing off not just to the shield generators, but to the reactor that powered them, leading to further explosions that collapsed immense mountains of debris and were visible from the bridge of the _Kestrel_.

* * *

Kenobi stood in the hatch of his TX-130 as he watched the Separatist defensive guns go silent even as a brilliant gout of smoke and flame rose into the sky in the distance.

The walls suddenly began crumbling under the barrage, and he smiled.

The Commandos had done it.

Lowering his electrobinoculars, he waved forwards the main force, which continued hammering the CIS defenses as it advanced at a good clip.

LAAB/es and LAAT/is screamed overhead and launched a salvo of missiles into the enemy defense lines further in, losing two bombers and a gunship in the process to enemy fire but knocking out many of the remaining Spider Droids, AATs and Snail Tanks.

He activated his wrist comm as the wall finally gave way and collapsed. "Anakin, we're beginning the final push, I want you to escort the troops from the 501st towards the secondary entrance, I'll take the 212th." He stated calmly.

["Understood Master, I'll meet you at the Excavation Site."] His Padawan replied as his TX-130 and two 'wingman' fighter tanks broke off and vanished as they drove up and over a scrap hill.

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes and frowned, he sensed Dooku's presence at that base.

And something _much_ more sinister, a very _affront_ to the Force itself.

He didn't like this at all.

* * *

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

"Alright, launch bombers." Kelia ordered, the command bridge crew relaying her orders to the starfighter command bridge, while the Bothan turned her head to watch the _Kestrel's_ primary dorsal launch doors slide open.

* * *

Down in the hangar, Tango and his crew waved a squadron of BTL-A2s out of their landing spots, the bombers turning on their repulsorfields as they did so to be in optimal position to ignite their engines, doing so once safely clear of the hangar bays and began to climb into the acrid skies of Raxus Prime.

Other squadons followed suit all along the line, V-19 Torrents and _Cords_ joining them to provide escorts.

["First wave is away; second wave prepare for takeoff!"] Barked the star boss over the hangar's announcement circuit as more Clone Pilots rushed to their Y-Wings, which were having astromechs and fuel loaded even as they clambered into their cockpits and hooked up to the life support and targeting systems of their craft and performed their checks while boarding ladders were unhooked and moved clear.

Likewise, Torrent and _Cord_ pilots ran to the boarding ladders of their own machines, which were also nearly ready to go.

* * *

Ransack, Blaze Three, banked his bomber into formation with the others and did a final once-over of his weapons control system to ensure it was working properly.

["Alright Blaze Squadron, we're going in fast and low to sweep that defense line clear, by the time they see us coming, it'll be too late for 'em."] Blaze Leader, Reflex, informed his squadron.

The lead Y-Wing inverted and dove, the rest of the squadron following their leader as the Torrents continued to fly top cover for them.

Ransack yanked on his yokes as they dove into a junk chasm, countless centuries of wreckage and unwanted machinery surrounding the Y-Wings as they thundered down its length through haphazard debris barely wide enough at times for even a lone bomber to pass safely.

But Clone Pilots weren't ordinary fighter jocks, they had a lifetime of training behind them, and missions like this were merely _tough_ to them.

["Sixteen klicks to go. Keep it together _vode_."]

The bombers banked to either side of a salvage craft that was sweeping up debris with its tractor beam projectors in a wider section of the canyon, before forming back up in a line once they were past its ancient rusted bulk.

["Coming up on the end of the canyon… Twelve klicks to target…"]

The Bombers rose out of the canyon and spread out a bit once over the wastes, passing over a surprised Delta Squad as they did so, Scorch waving and whooping as the Y-Wings roared over their heads.

Now accelerating up to top speed, Ransack watched the distance marker count down rapidly as the Y-Wings turned and angled towards the battlefield, coming in fast and low right at flanks of the Droid lines.

Reaver Squadron, which had been the second in line, had headed to aid General Kenobi by flattening the remaining defenses in that direction.

Behind them, Tanager Squadron slotted in behind the Blazes to further devastate the CIS main defense line.

The rest were moving to engage CIS reinforcements from outlying bases that were trying to reinforce the excavation site.

["All Blazes, begin your attack runs."] Reflex ordered.

"With pleasure lead." Ransack chuckled as he armed his proton bombs and fired up his laser cannons and ion blasters.

* * *

Kursk blinked in surprise as explosions tore up the CIS lines and lowered his helmet electrobinoculars to see what was going on.

The culprits became clear quickly, Y-Wings, bombing and shooting the _hell_ out of the droids and wiping out almost all their remaining guns and armor.

General Be'ti nodded and swept her lightsaber forward so that the tip was pointing towards the CIS lines. "All forces, charge while they're disoriented!" She shouted as she leapt from cover, Kursk nodding and following her.

Tecs meanwhile waved to a couple platoons standing behind him. "Well, what're you waiting for _vode_?! None of us are dying any slower standing here! Fix bayonets and let's skewer us some clankers!" The Clone Major yelled, rallying them.

The Clones affixed their vibro-bayonets onto their rifles and let out a battle cry. "We're an army of one man! But the _right_ man for the job!" They roared as they burst from cover, standardly armored 38th, 233rd, and 475th Troopers mixed with pale-yellow marked 608th Clones as they charged towards the droid lines, weapons blazing away.

More and more Clones joined the charge as the cry went along the entire line.

Walkers, APCs, and tanks followed as speeders and AT-RTs swept forwards alongside the infantry like old beast cavalry from ancient times while the artillery thundered away, hammering the droids into further submission, followed up by gunships and gunship bombers screaming over the Clones, their missiles, bombs, and laser weaponry lighting up the CIS trenches.

The beginning of the end had begun for this engagement.

Exactly on schedule.

* * *

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

A predatory grin flashed on Kelia's face as she looked out the forward viewports. "Move us up to provide direct cover fire with our main cannons." She instructed as she flicked a hand to point forwards.

"Aye sir." Perth acknowledged.

The Sensor Chief frowned as he looked up from his console. "Sir! Seven warships just entered the atmosphere after the orbital forces were engaged by a sizable fleet of enemy reinforcements coming out of hyperspace behind them!"

"Numbers and type?" Kelia inquired.

"Five _Munificents_, one _Recusant_, and a _Providence_." He reported. "No escorts but the markings on the Providence matches those of Sevrance Tann's flagship, the same vessel that led the invasion force at Rhen Var and very possibly the ship that nearly cornered us at Hypori."

Her muzzle twisted into a snarl. Well, at least she had a face to put to that debacle's orchestrator. "Right, divert our course to intercept and sound general quarters, we can't let those ships hit the ground forces or the _Acclamators_. Re-equip half the bombers for anti-ship combat and tighten the CAP, set power level four for the main battery, reinforce the forward shields, and get all torpedo tubes ready for firing on my command and press forwards. Make sure the squadron follows suit!" She barked.

The Clones hurried to follow her orders.

As the alarms began to blare, Kelia's frowning as she scanned visually for the dots that would signify the approaching CIS warships and their fighter complements through the smog choked skies of Raxus Prime.

Just their luck that things took a turn for the worse as they were nearly ready to breach the enemy's final line of defense.

* * *

**AN: And scene.**

**The OG-10 is the Heavy Homing Spider droid from Galactic Battlegrounds, not a big surprise there really.**

**And the Fire Support Battle Droids are based on a fanon design by Marcusstarkiller on DeviantArt. A lot of his stuff is actually pretty good, although there's things that can be construed as odd or just not worth it by some regards.**

**And of course the Crow Fighter is the default Trade Federation Fighter from Galactic Battlegrounds, basically acting as a predecessor to the Vulture, so like its peers it's named after a type of carrion bird, in this case a typical crow.**

**It's really just a complete piece of crap, even more so than the Scarabs and Vultures.**

**And as a last addition, the Armored Scout Tank is a basic 'mini-rig' toy from the Kenner and later Hasbro prequel era toy lines, first being used during the episode 1 line as a Trade Federation vehicle, and later revived as a low cost retail CIS vehicle for the TCW toyline, both iterations came with a droid pilot and compared to most of their peers, they're not all that out of place in universe, considering more questionable designs such as the 'Scuttler' walker (Literally just a downsized OG-9 Homing Spider with what resembles the bottom half of a TIE cockpit for a body) from the canon Disney comics are official, it makes sense that this should get its time in the sun at least.**

**Anyway, chapter 15 should be coming up next and serve as the end-cap to this battle.**


	15. DR: Moving the Pieces

**AN: Chapter 15, on station.**

**There'll be a brief break so I can further Chapter 17 along and get chapter 18 and possibly 19 in the pipeline before I post chapter 16, that and I'm still fleshing out those chapters and they could change quite dramatically from how I currently have them.**

* * *

"**_It's rather remarkable really that by simply understanding basic physics or utilizing assets available to her while also exploiting the enemy's arrogance or inflexibility, Kelia Los'ean managed to pull of tactical moves that left most observers speechless... There was truly nothing special about those maneuvers as she herself has routinely said when asked, it's merely that by acting outside the rigid doctrine of tried and true tactics she became exceptional in contrast to the inflexibility of her peers, an issue the Navy still boasts in spades to its detriment, and one the Rebels exploit whenever possible. Even a hundred more officers like her would make all the difference."_****-****Grand Admiral Mitth'raw'nuruodo, Imperial Navy.**

* * *

**13:6:35 GRS**

**CSS **_**Underwritten Investment**_**, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Sev'rance'tann narrowed her crimson eyes as her fleet closed with a detachment of Republic warships, three Star Destroyers, four cruisers, and six corvettes.

TZ-23 strode up to her. "Republic units led by Kenobi and Skywalker have engaged the final line of excavation defenses." The Tactical Droid informed the Chiss.

She nodded, crimson orbs eyeing the _Kestrel_.

Despite her master's orders, she felt a twinge of anger at seeing that ship that made her want to forget everything and blow it from the sky. Twice that vessel had eluded her, its Captain may not have been the most skillful, but it was clear they were learning.

Indeed, they were already putting the squadron the _Kestrel_ was leading between the CIS fleet and the ground forces rather than sitting back, and was coordinating its fighter screens better than at Rhen Var.

The thought of punishment for moving too aggressively stemmed that thought quickly enough though, and she took a more professional tone for her orders.

"Launch fighters, we're to cover my Master until his transport retreats from the surface… But let's make this diversion a bit more convincing. So send some Hyenas to harass the advancing ground troops." She ordered.

"By your command." TZ-23 acknowledged before turning to a subordinate. "Direct squadrons nine and fourteen to engage the enemy ground forces, all other units are to engage the Republic Naval Squadron, one-hundred percent losses are acceptable." He stated calmly as he spoke to a B1 manning a bridge terminal, which bobbed its head in understanding.

"Roger roger." The Pilot Droid replied as it tapped away on the console to relay the orders.

* * *

**13:6:35 GRS**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

"Sir! Droid Fighters are launching towards the ground forces!" A sensor tech shouted.

"How many are there Vector?" Kelia asked warily.

"Two Hyena Squadrons!" The Clone replied. "The rest are heading our way!"

She frowned; it was a tough call to make, but they for once had reserves the CIS didn't, so she could at least afford to devote some fighters to deal with the Hyenas, as the small number of Vultures currently flying made apparent. "Yap, tell fighter control to direct Lylat and Wolf Squadrons to intercept, between them, the LAATs, the Y-Wings already down there, and the AAV-3s, they can handle twenty-four bombers." The Bothan instructed. "Hold the others in reserve to defend us and to react to the situation as needed."

"Sir!" The comms officer replied.

"Fire control, I want broadsides ready to go on the _Providence_ and the _Recusant_. Helm, get us in nice and close with those two fekkers. Comms, inform the other ships that they are to handle the others at their discretion."

"Sir?" Perth inquired warily.

Kelia grinned. "Don't worry… I've got this." She assured him.

It was stupid as hell, but it'd work.

If she timed it right that was.

* * *

**13:6:35 GRS**

**RSS **_**Hawk-Bat**_**, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Captain Priv Gressler frowned as he watched the _Kestrel_ accelerate ahead of the formation. "What in the… What does that mewling alien think she's doing?" He snarled.

His Clone XO, Vex, frowned and shrugged. "Who knows sir."

He frowned, Los'ean wasn't stupid, he was willing to admit that much about her.

But what was her goal then?

* * *

**13:6:35 GRS**

**Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Delta Squad, the two Null ARCs, and the Bad Batch watched in confusion from below as the _Kestrel_ charged straight towards the CIS warships, being hammered by laserfire all the way even as fighter squadrons dueled around the charging _Venator_.

"What the hell?" Ordo whispered as he tried to discern what she was doing. "Has she gone insane?"

"Who knows…" Crosshair muttered sardonically as three of Lylat Squadron's _Cords _flashed over them in pursuit of six Hyena Bombers

Mineth looked on worriedly before catching a glimpse of Hunter's face, the man frowning before a sudden smirk tugged at the sides of his lips. "Well, I'll be damned… Clever girl." He chuckled softly.

* * *

**CSS **_**Underwritten Investment**_**, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Sev'rance grinned as she watched _Kestrel_ approach. "Prepare a full broadside, we'll dump everything into them when pass. Have the _Patriot's Destiny_ do the same!" She ordered, believing the Republic to be desperate to break through her forces.

"General, that may be unwise." TZ-23 cautioned. "My calculations still leave a margin of error to account for."

The Dark Acolyte wheeled on him, forcing the Tactical Droid to take a step back. "I thought you Tactical Droids were supposed to be sure of yourselves?"

"There is always room to err on the side of caution when organics are involved, they can be excessively unpredictable even when one's predictions seem foolproof." The droid replied flatly. "My counterparts suffer from the same excessive arrogance that plagues organic officers, no calculation is absolute, and machines are _not_ infallible."

He pointedly left the fact that the CIS Droid Army consisted largely of functional idiots in the form of B1s and B2s with absolute bottom shelf droid brains and all the faults of such hardware and the accompanying software out of the statement.

"Just _do it_." She growled at him before turning to gaze out the bridge viewports with a smug grin on her face. "It's just a Republic officer, they're fools who rely on doctrine, not initiative." The Chiss said haughtily. "They're no match for me."

TZ-23's head tilted down, the droid silently fuming at what it viewed as the raw arrogance of an organic. "By your command." He ground out after a moment before turning on the bridge crew droids, whom had been staring at them during the exchange. "GET BACK TO WORK!" He bellowed as he waved an arm at them, a chorus of tinny yelps replying to him as the B1s turned back to their stations and continued to perform their duties.

* * *

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Kelia huffed as she mentally calculated the timing.

Not the best method, but it was what she had.

The _Recusant_ and _Providence_ continued firing on the _Kestrel_ as she drew closer.

The _Munificents_ focused their fire on other vessels to keep them at bay, which just made her job easier.

"Sound the collision alarm in twenty seconds. Helm. Cut repulsors by fifty percent on my command before bringing it back up to full power and stopping us in mid-air. Fire control, divert power to main battery guns when that happens and lock onto the _Recusant_ and the _Providence_, don't hesitate or wait for orders after that, swap to power setting five and blow them away."

"Sir?!" Perth gasped in surprise. "What-" He protested before being cut off as the Bothan raised her hand.

"Trust me Perth… They won't know what hit them." She assured her XO.

* * *

**CSS **_**Underwritten Investment**_**, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

"They're getting closer!" A B1 observed worriedly as the _Kestrel_ showed no signs of altering her course or even firing torpedoes.

"What is the status on the enemy ship's power distribution?" TZ-23 inquired.

"Sir, they're still prepped for lateral combat." A B1 sensor operator informed him.

The Tactical Droid cocked its head to look out the viewport. Perhaps he had been wrong… But something was off, if that was the scenario, then why not fire their torpedo tubes into them beforehand to distract some of their fire and deal initial crippling blows? It was utterly illogical.

The _Kestrel's_ bow crossed the threshold and in seconds would be in optimal firing position for the turbolasers, ion cannons, missile tubes, and proton cannons on both CIS warships that it was passing between.

"FIRE!" Sev'rance shouted.

TZ-23s prediction algorithms came up with the likely solutions in that instant.

He realized too late what was about to happen and could do no more than lock his feet down magnetically.

* * *

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

"NOW!" Kelia roared as the ship's alarms blared around her.

Hopefully the crew had gotten the message and braced themselves, because this would be a serious bump.

Were it not for the artificial gravity, she, and everyone else not seated and restrained, would've been flung into the bridge ceiling as a couple million metric tons of _Venator_-class Star Destroyer suddenly dropped nearly three hundred meters like a rock before the repulsors kicking back in to full power arrested her fall.

Still, Kelia almost felt her feet leave the deck, and she heard her ship's metal structure groan loudly in protest, but the tensor fields held the _Kestrel_ together. Nonetheless, a yard would need to give her a once over to ensure the ship's structural integrity remained optimal.

The _Kestrel's_ eight dual DBY-827 heavy turbolasers, four astride each side of the superstructure, elevated and locked onto the CIS warships as they _hammered_ the hell out of eachother, crippling eachother's shields and systems in a horrific instance of induced friendly fire and rending their hull armor and sections of their decks to pieces. before someone managed to get them to stop shooting.

Then the _Venator's _turbos opened fire, pouring bolt after bolt of unfathomably violent azure energy into the disoriented CIS warships, puncturing their weakend shields and tearing through armor plate, hulls, and then deck after deck of ship.

The _Patriot's Destiny_, already badly mauled by the _Underwritten Investment_, began to crack apart as its exposed internal structure, intended to reduce construction costs due to it being largely intended to be inhabited by droids, became a liability.

The kilometer-long warship's power failed as its reactors were ripped apart by turbolaser fire and fell from the sky, trailing smoke and flame. The _Recusant's _long spaceframe dug a massive gash into the surface of Raxus Prime as it impacted the planet's surface, the engine bank's spindly connection to the main boddy snapping in the process and sending the spoke connecting the three drive pods tumbling off to the side of the main crash zone while the forward section continued onwards until it partially buried itself into a mountain of refuse, which acted as an impromptu brake, leaving a six kilometer-long trail of ripped off armor plate, antennas, and gun turrets in its wake.

It had become the latest starship to join countless others in eternal rest on the surface of the galaxy's greatest machine graveyard.

The _Underwritten Investment_, being a _Providence_ and therefore a sturdier vessel based on the Rendili _Dreadnaught_ spaceframe, albeit a design upscaled and heavily improved by Mon Calamari engineers before the plans were stolen by Quarren nationalists and further modified into what it was now, suffered heavy damage, but managed to break away from the _Kestrel's_ fire and headed off into the distance, itself also venting smoke and fire from multiple hull breaches, the brilliant flare of a secondary reactor going off blowing a vast chunk out of the vessel's fore end as it fled.

The _Munificents_, having been unable to react, were pre-empted by the _Hawk-Bat _and _Regency_, which, in concert with the _Arquitens_ and Charger c70s, had begun hammering them with an intense barrage of turbolaser fire of their own, a salvo of torpedoes and concussion missiles ripping one of the _Munificents_ apart as they approached.

The other four followed in short order as groups of Y-Wings hammered them with fighter-grade proton torpedos and concussion missiles before being finished off by the warships and joining the _Patriot's Destiny _forevermore on Raxus Prime.

Meanwhile, the dogfights had continued unabated throughout the entire affair, Torrents, _Cords_, Vultures and Hyenas twisting through the air in skyborne duels.

Kelia, her heart pounding in her chest, stared wide eyed as the bridge crew broke out into cheers.

Her gamble had _worked_, and paid dividends even she hadn't been expecting.

Not for the last time she cursed her lack of a command chair to slump into given her legs were about to give out in relief.

"Alright, all ships are to surround the excavation site, I want that entire thing quarantined, nothing gets out of there that isn't ours."

"Sir." Yap replied before relaying the order.

* * *

**CSS **_**Underwritten Investment**_**, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Sev'rance set her jaw as the droid bridge crew worked to get their ship clear of enemy fire.

"Damage report!" TZ-23 demanded.

A B1 brought up the report submitted by central damage control. "Starboard weapons at twelve percent operational capacity, engine three is offline, shields have completely failed, tractor beam and repulsor beam arrays offline, we've had to dump our remaining proton shells and missiles to avoid magazine explosions, reactants and fuel are leaking from many of our storage silos, one subsidiary reactor is completely destroyed, two of the main reactors are offline, starboard hangar is wiped out and a shell plunged right through the ground command bridge, destroying it. We've also suffered dozens of hull breaches across many of our decks... Again on the starboard side. And we're still assessing the damage to minor systems, but we're barely staying airborne as is."

"The starboard side sure had a bad day didn't it?" Another droid pilot piped up, only to have its head crushed like a can by Sev'rance with the force.

A green marked Droid Marine promptly dragged it out of the seat so a replacement could sit down.

"General, I advise reaching the nearest planetary drydock for immediate repairs." TZ-23 intoned.

"Do it!" She hissed, clenching her fists as she stormed out of the bridge. "And do not disturb me!" She added as she flattened the two Security B1s that tried to follow her against the bridge corridor walls with a Force push, shattering both hapless droids.

TZ-23 said nothing further as he approached the damage control officer's console, the B1 continuing to receive reports.

The ship was savable… But it would need a complete rebuild before it could see action again.

The Tactical Droid shook his head. "Illogical, were my advice heeded, this would not have happened."

A report needed to be made regarding General Tann's arrogance.

* * *

**Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Mineth let out a whoop of joy as the commandos watched the stunt unfold.

Even Ordo was visibly impressed by the competency with which the maneuver was pulled off.

"Brace!" Fixer shouted as the _Patriot's Destiny_ careened towards the planet's surface.

The ground shook as the vessel impacted, nearly knocking the eleven off their feet, followed by additional quaking as the _Munificents _joined it.

Wrecker let out a cheer as he watched the smoke rise from the crash sites. "Yeah, suck it clankers!" He chuckled while clapping joyously.

"Alright, pack it in." Ordo instructed. "Let's get to the exfil point, our job here is done."

And with that, they ambled off towards the marked LZ point for the gunships that would pick them up, the fleet passing near them as it moved to surround the dig site.

* * *

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Kelia frowned as she watched the ground forces _finally _move in on the excavation site, which boasted a single _Hardcell_-class transport, the rocket shaped craft looming over the area like a skyscraper.

Then she noticed something. The vessel's engines had fired, and it was beginning to take off.

She knew the class was fast in atmosphere thanks to its powerful engines, although it typically moved slower in open space due to burning so much fuel on takeoff.

Best to stop it from escaping then.

"All ships, prepare to fire!"

She could almost taste victory, Dooku was undoubtedly on that vessel.

Killing him would help bring the war to a much swifter end before it had even truly begun.

"Sir!" Yap shouted from his seat, having swiveled in his chair to face her. "General Kenobi has issued a stand down order regarding the _Hardcell_, Commander Skywalker boarded the ship in pursuit of Count Dooku!"

Everyone froze, with Kelia staring wide-eyed at the transport as its ascended.

Then the second-stage boosters kicked in and the _Hardcell's_ velocity increased exponentially, the craft breaking the sound barrier as it quickly accelerated to four thousand kilometers per hour and fled into orbit.

They'd missed their one chance, Dooku had gotten away.

"Perth, follow the mission plan from here on out… You have the bridge." Kelia said, eerily calm as the bridge fell silent, Clones looking up and out of the crew pits at her warily. "I'll be in my office if anyone needs me."

With that, she spun on her heel and strode out of the bridge, canid muzzle twitching as she resisted the urge to break into a fit of anger in front of the men.

Such was the silence that the only audible sounds over the distant hum of the _Kestrel's _reactor were the claps of Kelia's bootfalls hitting the ground as she left.

* * *

**13:6:35 GRS**

**Excavation Site Exar Kun, Raxus Prime, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

Glynn Be'ti watched in a furor as Count Dooku's _Hardcell_-class transport rose into the sky and quickly vanished out of sight, a single Protodeka unit engaging Kenobi's TX-130 in a duel to the death nearby.

It was dispatched quickly enough thanks to Kenobi distracting the oversized monstrosity while a Charger c70 performed an excessively danger close turbo-run, the corvette blowing it apart before flying off, and she saw Kenobi climb out of his tank and stare helplessly into the air.

Skywalker singlehandedly prevented them from knocking Dooku out of the sky by boarding that transport.

"Are you kriffing kidding me?" One of the Clones near her growled as he kicked at a downed B1's torso. "Well that's just great… What did we even come here for then anyways!?"

"Don't ask me Trooper, that's on Kenobi to answer for regarding his Padawan." She replied grumpily.

Not that she had room to complain, her own temperament was hardly 'jedilike'.

Two Clones trotted up to her, a young human in tow, shorter than her by a good few centimeters she noted. "General, we've found a civilian, claims he's an orphan." The lead trooper of the two reported.

Be'ti, already aggravated by the setbacks, turned to him. "Are you… Ugh… Just, forget it… Get him transferred to the _Candasseri_ and we'll figure out his story there, I think I'm already coming down with something from all this toxic sludge and the stress." The Bothan snapped, violet eyes hovering on the child, as if vaguely recognizing him, before dismissing it. "Everyone else, lock it down and get ready for evac, we're done here." She instructed. "Tell Commander Ulix to meet me back on the ship." She added.

"Yes sir." The Trooper replied, nodding at his batcher, whom ushered the orphan with them to a waiting LAAT/i.

Boba Fett, carrying the duffel containing his father's helmet and his other possessions, smirked for the briefest of moments.

They hadn't even recognized him thanks to the grime he'd covered himself in.

Self-reliance and improvisation… The essential traits to be a good Bounty Hunter.

Maybe a good Mandalorian as well.

* * *

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Raxus System, Tion Hegemony.**

The _Kestrel_, escorting her squadron after the ground troops were picked up, headed towards the jump point at the edge of the system.

A sizable taskforce had prevented the orbital forces from intercepting Dooku's ship before it fled into hyperspace and the Separatist defense fleet around Secundus had finally mobilized after realizing that this was the extent of the Republic incursion.

To say Kelia was angry was an understatement.

She hurled her chair into the wall yet again, screaming in rage.

"_Haar'chak_! _Ni'll kyra'mur ibac di'kutla Jetii!_" The Bothan shouted as she kicked her uniform cap stomped on it. "_Be an te or'diniila _moves!"

She panted as there was a chime at the door.

Reaching up she tapped her headset. "Los'ean." She said flatly.

["Sir, General Kenobi is here."] The Trooper at the door informed her.

She glanced around her office, which had numerous objects thrown about from her fit of rage.

It was only then she realized she'd been throwing things around and ranting in _Mando'a_ for nearly half an hour.

"Give me a minute… I… Just need to straighten things up." She replied, stooping down to pick up her uniform cap and make sure it was presentable before picking up her chair and setting it back behind her desk and sitting down after ensuring everything else was in order. "Let him in." She said after a moment.

The door slid open, Obi-Wan stepping inside.

"General…" She sighed, despite her attempts to make herself presentable, her blond fur and hair were slick with sweat, her uniform was stained from spilled caf from when she tossed her still filled mug against the door earlier, her officer's cap looked crumpled, and she had no doubt the Jedi could sense her residual displeasure in the force.

Not to mention the damage to her office's walls.

Obi-Wan winced visibly. "Well… I must offer my apologies for the rashness of my Padawan… Anakin took the duel with Dooku on Geonosis rather personally I'm afraid."

Kelia exhaled and pinched the top of her muzzle. "Wonderful… I get that… But it doesn't make it any less of a reason for me to not want to kick his _shebs_ in."

"And I'm aware of that, but should my Padawan still be alive, _I _shall be responsible for disciplining him." Obi-Wan informed her, a scowl on his face.

Kelia's face set. "Understood, General." She replied curtly.

Obi-Wan sighed and glanced around the room. "Well, I can understand your frustration."

"Frustration would be an understatement, Master Kenobi." Kelia huffed, crossing her arms under her breasts. "I was downright _furious_ your _di'kutla_ Padawan decided to engage Dooku by _himself_ when he should know damn well that even the two of you fighting together stood little chance against him." She pointed out. "If he hadn't, I could've blasted him out of existence in the CIS's own capitol system, that kind of prestige and propaganda blow isn't something they could've recovered from. I'm not saying he's a glory hound, he's a decent guy, but for the love of the stars he needs to stop and _think_."

Obi-Wan nodded softly. "And I agree, it would've been a boon for that to have occurred. Which is another reminder that Anakin's impulsiveness needs to be tempered before he can go anywhere… Provided he survives this of course…"

"Are you going to attempt a search?"

"Not at the moment, we don't have any clue of where Dooku is heading, although the vector he took did have him head towards Wookiee Space."

"There's still hundreds of systems in the Mytaranor sector, it could be ages before we find him." She pointed out.

Obi-Wan nodded. "And if I recall, your ship is likely due at Lantilles for a structural check after that stunt you pulled, Master Be'ti is heading there as well to offload a group of Orphans who've been stuck on the Candaserri for weeks."

Kelia raised an eyebrow. "Orphans, I didn't think that the Republic Navy was responsible for transporting them…"

Obi-Wan shrugged helplessly. "I'm afraid I don't know all of the details myself, nor do I have the time to look them up as I'll be transferring off the ship at the next jump point, so I guess this is where I bid my goodbyes Captain."

She nodded; her anger somewhat mollified by Obi-Wan's statements. "I guess this is."

With that, he turned and left, Kelia slumping back into her dented chair and rubbing her eyes. "Kark…" She commed Perth. "Tell the Commandos they're free to come up whenever… I… Nevermind I'll try and get a shower in first." She said after sniffing her armpit and recoiling from the smell.

["You okay sir?"]

"No… Not really…" She muttered. "Can you send me up some caf too, my machine's out and I want the strong stuff anyways."

["Yes sir, right away sir."]

It was going to be a long month, wasn't it?

* * *

Ordo slammed his locker shut; they had been _this_ close to killing Dooku and taking out whatever he'd uncovered, but that impulsive _or'dinii_ Skywalker had to ruin everything.

Karking damnit.

His opinion was shared by just about everyone else ironically enough, even Kenobi had been irate about the entire thing, a rare breach in that man's façade.

A'den, stripping off his armor next to him was silent, as were everyone else.

The Deltas had even postponed the planned induction 'ceremony' for Mineth as a result of the fiasco that resulted from Raxus Prime.

The worst part was, Ordo knew for sure now that Skywalker was the Jedi equivalent to himself and his Null brothers.

He hated that so much.

Ordo looked away as Mineth ripped off her bodyglove and strode towards the sonic showers after grabbing a towel.

Guess she had time to get used to co-ed, unlike most of the _Kestrel's_ crew, what with being on Rhen Var and all due to the need to heat as little empty air as possible, forcing personnel at the various stations and outposts there to shower en-masse.

Sev and Scorch elbowed Fixer jokingly and told him something Ordo didn't hear over the din of the lockers.

Delta's techie didn't seem to take too kindly to it and seemed sort of flustered, which mean it was probably them needling him over Mineth's _shebs_, which didn't surprise Ordo given the two seemed to have a mutual interest in the other.

Nothing too big, mostly just basic infatuation, but with time it could turn into something he supposed.

Ordo didn't particularly care for females himself, mostly due to Ko Sai.

Isabet Reau's treatment of the men she trained didn't help matters either.

Sadistic aiwhabait or psychotic _Kyr'tsad_ bitch, wonderful way to introduce him to women that.

That wasn't even getting into the fact that Rav Bralor tended to chew _Kal'buir's_ _shebs_ out for not disciplining the Nulls and trying to at least make them function within the greater military.

Kal, being as stubborn as he was, stayed his course... Ordo found that both admirable and frustrating all things considered.

He watched as the Deltas headed off, and noting that of the Bad Batchers, Hunter wasn't present.

Karking lunatic probably liked having the grime on him.

Shrugging, Ordo grabbed a towel and headed over to a stall of his own, passing Scorch and Sev in the process, whom seemed to be planning something.

Ordo rolled his eyes, whatever they were planning was probably going to backfire on them.

* * *

Mineth softly hummed as she scrubbed the grime off her fur, in the faint hum of the sonic shower as the mist washed over her.

Her body glove had offered little protection from the noxious sludge that oozed from the junkheaps of Raxus Prime, much to her chagrin.

So, while it wasn't as refreshing as a water shower, anything was better than being drenched in sweat and filth.

She glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone was looking, not that she really minded given she'd routinely showered with dozens of other males and females of varying species during her tenure at Station Aurek.

She'd also showered with Kelia a couple times before when they were younger to save time after swimming, that and because chlorine in fur was an excessively troublesome thing to clean off by oneself in a water shower, though the taller and curvier Bothan's body did make Mineth more than a bit self-conscious about her own after puberty hit the former like an energy pummel against fortifications.

Returning to cleaning herself, she yelped when she felt someone bump into her after being shoved through the stall curtain.

She could guess who it was given that Sev and Scorch were laughing nonstop behind her.

The Bothan's face went red.

"Uh, sorry… I'll be going…" Fixer said sheepishly as he hastily exited the stall.

Part of her wanted to stop him, but the sheer awkwardness of the entire scenario and the fact she had no overt reason to prevented that.

Well, at least there was an attempt, as Fixer was thrust back into the shower by Scorch again.

"I don't think they're going to let you leave." She said sheepishly.

"Yeah, I figured that much..."

She handed him a bottle of soap, intended to be as chemically inert as possible to avoid aggravating the skin of most species. "Well, in that case, I guess we might as well get cleaned off." The Bothan giggled, trying to at least make the situation less awkward.

Fixer nodded and took it, it was just two comrades showering, just the whole co-ed thing was something most Clones weren't used to for obvious reasons.

"Say, you have any ideas how to get them back? Especially if they keep shoving you into the same stall as me?" Mineth asked slyly.

Fixer averted his gaze upwards, the fact she was a meter and a half shorter than him meant that in this state and with their proximity, every time he looked at her face, he was inadvertently looking at her bare chest or _shebs_ as well. "Not really." He admitted, trying to hide his discomfort.

She smirked wryly. "Well, I have a pretty good one. But we'll need to do some work to make it believable."

He raised an eyebrow. "And?"

"Well..." She stood on the tips of her toes and began to whisper into his ear.

Fixer smirked, it was almost _too_ perfect a revenge. "Yeah, let's go with that... The perfect way to get those two to stop is to make them think something backfired." He agreed.

The Bothan gave him a thumbs up and a wink in response.

This was gonna be good.

* * *

Kelia sighed as she looked through the ship's collection of movies that the Clones had purchased back on Coruscant, having decided to host a Holothriller night while docked over Lantilles undergoing a structural check.

She'd already sorted out the porn, and the garbage.

Last time she'd ever let them spend their pay stubs on movies without supervision, there was way too much kriffing holoporn on this ship for her tastes.

Which left war flicks, horror holothrillers, action holos, the occasional comedy, holoserials including '_The Voyages of the RSS _Enterprise', an old drama about a _Valor_-class cruiser patrolling the Unknown Regions during the Galactic Cold War, and some other stuff.

There was even a few workout Holos that someone had bought in their infinite wisdom.

A PK series worker droid hobbled past her as she continued to inspect the lineup.

One of them was a horror holo, specifically one based on a very _real_ Starweird attack on a civilian liner, that seemed like a good place to start.

Might end up giving her nightmares and make her never want to leave a planet again since Starweirds and Space Wraiths were said to randomly attack ships while they were in hyperspace, and apparently only Jedi could effectively deal with them, but whatever.

She chimed the 1MC with her headset.

* * *

["Attention all hands, this is Commodore Los'ean speaking, we're hosting Holonight in hangar bays nine through thirteen upon our arrival to Lantilles, please make your plans accordingly if you're off-duty at the time. The theme will be 'hyperspace horrors', so anyone who's rather squeamish need not attend."] Kelia said. ["That is all."]

Mineth looked up as she dressed in her service uniform, before noticing Fixer was looking at her and glancing away while blushing, tinting her grey fur pinkish.

"Heh, I don't think there's anything out there that'll scare me." Sev chuckled.

Mineth's face contorted into a smug grin. "You sure about that? When I was a kid I went to a holotheatre and saw this really terrifying movie about Starweirds."

"Star… What now?" Ordo piped up.

"Oh yeah, they're these incorporeal things that live in the void of space far away from planets or strong gravity wells. They seem docile but when they spot you… Well… Let's hope your ship can hit it with a tractor beam or jump into hyperspace before it gets aboard." She chuckled darkly, noticing that Scorch seemed very nervous.

A'den exchanged a dubious look with Crosshair, both shaking their head. "So, it's just a fake monster." The Null ARC said dismissively.

"_NOPE_!" The Bothan cut in, putting extra emphasis on the 'p'. "They're _very _real, and the scariest part is that they can attack ships while in _hyperspace_. Pass right through the hulls and cut their target to ribbons before vanishing just as quickly as they appeared. And if you try to get in their way… _Welll_… They can use all sorts of weird powers like shooting lightning from their hands. Only way to stop them is with stuff like force fields and ray shields, because they're incorporeal or something. Got a nasty telepathic scream that affects everything within twenty meters of 'em."

By this point, Scorch was hiding behind a bench, Fixer and Tech still looked dubious, the Nulls seemed weirded out but skeptical, Wrecker was interested in what was being said, Boss seemed like he was trying to maintain a façade but she could tell he was unnerved, and Sev and Crosshair simply didn't care.

Hunter, by contrast had a contemplative look.

"Thinking about something Sarge?" Tech asked.

"Yeah, it's not important though." The leader of Clone Force 99 replied.

"Still think she's full of _osik_." Ordo muttered to A'den, who shrugged nonchalantly.

"Eh, there's some weird stuff out there, so I can see spacers tending to overthink things when there's nothing going on." A'den said with a shrug. "Eh, why not, I bet it can't be _that_ scary compared to Mird, eh Ordo?" He joked.

Ordo simply glared at his brother. "Not funny A'den."

A'den shrugged as he slipped on his service uniform, waiting for his armor to get cleaned of all of Raxus Prime's gunk and grime. "Eh, it's still a work in progress." He said dismissively.

Ordo rolled his eyes as he turned to see Wrecker haul Scorch out from behind one of the benches as Mineth adjusted her uniform and giggled while talking to Fixer about something as the rest of the Commandos took the time to take a few good-natured laughs of their own at Scorch's expense.

A wry smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, barring Crosshair being a prick as usual, everyone was getting along fine it seemed.

Guess when it came down to it, the Batchers weren't so bad after all…

Ordo frowned as he realized the thought's nature.

"Karking damnit." He whispered, causing A'den, whom had come to a similar conclusion to burst into laughter and start jabbing him in the bicep, much to the bemusement of everyone else, whom stared on in confusion.

* * *

**13:7:1 GRS**

_**Hardcell **__**1028, Hyperspace**_**.**

Dooku sat comfortably in his office as Grievous relayed the latest reports from the front. ["And with another strong push and additional forces devoted to the western theatre, we can secure the Ison Corridor and prevent it from being used by the Republic to besiege our forces in the Javin mining worlds."]

"A good strategy General… However, I have good reason to believe that the Republic will be defeated within two months' time. So you will have to make do with what the local foundries and shipyards can provide." Dooku said firmly while sipping his tea.

Grievous's head tilted back slightly. ["With all due respect your lordship, I hardly see how that could be scarcely possible without launching a blitz straight at Coruscant with all our forces, risking a catastrophic defeat."] The Cyborg pointed out.

"Ah, but I do have something with which that may be possible." The count replied smugly as he turned on a view of a massive spherical cage-like device inside the main cargo hold of the _Hardcell_-class transport. "This is the key to initiate our victory over the Republic." He assured Grievous, whom merely narrowed his eyes. "After the civil panic in the Raxus System, we need something to boost morale as well."

["Sev'rance Tann promised the same with those Wookiee war machines she stole from Alaris Prime, and they ended up yielding nothing of value after the Bothans sabotaged them and the Republic reclaimed the plans and tooling to produce more."] The Kaleesh said, dismissive of Dooku's latest superweapon. ["This weapon of yours will be another waste of time."]

He had won his battles against the Huk through grit, blood, gunpowder, and steel before the foolish Jedi intervened and took _everything_ that was rightfully owed to the Kaleesh from him and his people.

Or, at least that's what he remembered, a lot of those old memories were... Fuzzy for the lack of a better word, and that _angered_ him to no end.

Trite superweapons such as these aggravated him, albeit less so than many other things, and while useful tools they ultimately would not affect the outcome of a war.

No, they existed to spread terror, to serve as a psychological threat, not to be the ultimate battlefield weapons even if they were more than capable as frontline war machines.

So he tempered his expectations, exactly as Dooku expected he would. "Perhaps… Perhaps not." Dooku said softly.

["And where per-say would you test this monstrosity?"]

"Test?" Dooku asked mirthfully. "It needs no test, merely a power supply…" The Sith chuckled darkly.

He stared out the viewport to his right and into the blue-white depths of hyperspace while simultaneously glancing over at a hologram of one of the moons of the gas giant Alaris, Alaris Prime. The very same world the Decimator war engines were built. "And I have just the world to _feed_ to this mighty weapon to begin charging it."

["_Feed_… My lord?"] Grievous inquired warily.

"Yes, General… _Feed_." Dooku confirmed with a soft chuckle that left even Grievous shaken at the casual way he used the word.

["Very well then… What are your standing orders…?"]

"Send additional forces to Thule to defend the world, no doubt the Republic will make a strike there at some point in the near future due to the large stockpiles of Kyber Crystals and Nova Crystals on the planet, otherwise you are to continue your campaign until we reach the timetable set for the next." He ordered. "That will be all for now, General."

["As you command."] Grievous acknowledged with a curt nod, his Holo cutting out soon afterwards.

Not even a minute had passed before the modified Neimoidian mechno-chair containing Darth Sidious's holoprojector strode out from the shadows, his master already transmitting. ["Lord Tyrannus, report."]

Dooku stood and bowed before the Sith Master. "The operation on Raxus Prime went according to plan, though there was a slight hiccup when the _Kestrel_ downed the distraction force with a well-timed ploy and drove off Sev'rance's flagship." He said candidly. "Were Skywalker not as predictable as ever, then I would be dead now, brought down by Republic turbolasers with no recourse to defend myself."

Sidious mulled this for a few moments. ["Undoubtedly this is due to her own arrogance, even a child should understand that starships can utilize gravity to their advantage for maneuvering in atmospheric combat."] He rasped, having seen the initial after action report from his end as Supreme Chancellor.

He was actually somewhat impressed by Los'ean's tactical flexibility, which further heightened his interest in seeing how useful she could be to him.

"The report from her Tactical Droid said as much." Dooku agreed, his eyes narrowing as he remembered the scathing tone of the droid's assessment of Sev'rance's flaws.

She was arrogant, conceited, and had an all too consistent habit of underestimating opponents, which cost her two engagements now that she should have won or at least maintained a draw from.

The Republic was learning that she could be outwitted.

And if she could be outwitted than she could be outmaneuvered and defeated.

"Regarding that Bothan…" Dooku said after a few moments.

["She has not demonstrated any destabilizing threat, and her husband has ceased his inquiries into my secret projects on Coruscant after receiving satisfying information fed to one of his contacts by my agents… Should she be killed by chance, it is no substantial loss, but there is to be no targeted effort to eliminate her at this time."] Sidious instructed.

"As you wish, my Master." Dooku acknowledged. "And pardon my curiosity, but what of this Mandalorian you mentioned last month?" He inquired, fishing for a bit of information.

["Ah, Skirata… His exclusive level of control over six of the top special forces troopers in the GAR concerns me, as does his military-political reach due to his mercenary connections and involvement in the Commando training program with the other members of this '_Cuy'val Dar_', but ultimately is of little issue in the grand scheme of things. Republic Intelligence is keeping an eye on him via a hired agent and so far have found nothing of concern. But make no mistake Lord Tyrannus... If they uncover anything requiring my direct intervention, he and those who stand with him will be _eliminated_ post-haste, as will anyone _else_ who threatens the plan."] The Dark Lord growled.

Dooku merely nodded deeply in reply. "Is there anything else my Master?"

["Once the operation on Alaris Prime is finished, allow the Republic to acquire the information they seek from Rhen Var. Do not leave the planet undefended, but make it so that they have a _chance_ to recover the secrets of Ulic Qel-Droma."]

Dooku nodded. "Your will be done." He said as Sidious's holo flickered and vanished, leaving Dros Dooku alone in his office once again to contemplate his next move.

His master surely wouldn't object to Skywalker being threatened with the Force Harvester, especially since the Jedi was undoubtedly cunning enough to get clear before it consumed him.

But if he wasn't, then he wasn't worthy of being Sith anyways.

* * *

**AN: And scene.**

**Honestly, didn't know how to end it, so I just hammered out the bit involving Dooku and Grievous to sort of remind people of the greater scope of the war, that and it served to bring up what Sidious is doing regarding Kelia since she did nearly kill Dooku were it not for Anakin's rashness.**

**Also yeah, Starweirds are a thing in legends, scary stuff actually since Jedi are the only ones who can effectively counter them.**

**Actually scary is an understatement because these things pretty much fit more in Warhammer 40k than they do in Star Wars given how utterly terrifying they are.**

**Speaking of 40k, I also kinda mislabeled the Bothan Infiltrators, they're less Spartan-II and more equal parts Callidus, Eversor, and Vindicare, plus the skill-sets of most of the minor temples of the Officio Assassinorum (albeit not nearly as capable as each in their respective skillsets and roles because Star Wars isn't nearly as grimdark as 40k), though some force-sensitive do Infiltrators exist and are largely kept under the direct command of the Bothan Clan Council for security reasons.**


	16. DR: Hard Contact pt 1

**AN: This chapter was _much _different during initial drafting phases... Not gonna lie I got a bit too ambitious, realized that, and then culled back the stuff that totally borked the narrative flow.**

**Didn't delete it though, so there's always the possibility of fleshing out that diversion, but I doubt that'll happen any time soon.**

**If at all.**

**Also working on trying to replace every mention of 'Corps' when used in conjunction with the 608th with 'Regiment' since the unit is a regiment not a corps based on size.**

**My bad.**

**Also, on a brief side-note, now that I think about it, Bothans are as big on the whole 'family is everything' stuff as the Mandos, infact the two cultures are basically parallels, heavily honor and reputation based societies, clan based hierarchal structure, family over individual, clan over family, species/culture over clan (under ideal circumstances I should point out, as plenty of _Mando'ade_ and Bothans are invested in glory for their own sake [Glances at Borsk Fey'lya] even at a high cost to others around them), and the fact that both are absolutely _never_ to be pissed off lightly.**

**It's just that the Bothan tendency to_ not_ to use violence as a primary solution unless they absolutely have to is what truly sets them apart.**

**One can suppose that's why they've prospered relatively consistently while Mandalore and her peoples have waxed and waned over the millennia.**

**Honestly, speaking out of universe, it's a wonder why there aren't more Bothan Mandalorians, especially among the fandom's created characters, since both cultures only require a very small change in mindset to swap between, which is probably why in universe, that Clan Aean has prospered while others who've been forced to abandon the _Resol'nare_ have withered on the vine.**

**AFAIK there's literally just one known Bothan Mando who doesn't even have a name in legends, and appeared as a background character supporting Boba in one scene in a NJO novel.**

* * *

_**"The mortal enemy of any soldier is**** boredom."**_**-****Anonymous.**

* * *

**13:7:2 GRS**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Lantilles System, Lantillian Sector.**

Kelia reclined in a folding chair she'd brought onto the bridge, a few Clones working on monitoring sensors and other systems around her.

Most of the crew who wasn't on duty were either dockside on Station _Glory_, sleeping, or watching movies on the hangar deck.

Which left her ample time to relax, she'd already sent a message back to Coruscant, the operation into CIS space was still under a gag order so she couldn't do a live call.

So she just lazed about and watched the freighters, fighters, and warships flick by at varying distances from the docked _Kestrel_, tugs and scanning crews going over every millimeter of the ship's hull and structure to ensure there were no dangerous micro-fractures as a result of her stunt on Raxus Prime.

This was a process that would take several days and would render the _Kestrel_ inoperative during that period.

Further out from the _Kestrel_, the _Regency_ and _Hawk-Bat_ were docked along a nearby berthing spine, likely taking on supplies or transferring personnel.

The rest of the impromptu squadron had been dispersed throughout the regional forces once again.

The Bothan stifled a yawn as she glanced over her shoulder and down at Yap, whom was on-duty yet again with a handful of others. "Anything new on the channels?"

The Clone looked up at her and shook his head. "No sir, mostly some competing noise complaints from various departments and one minor incident due to the holothriller festival down in the hangar."

Kelia chuckled and closed an eye. "How bad is it?"

"Everyone fled the hangar nine when Quark platoon brought in a fake Starweird they'd managed to acquire from somewhere just after the showing of _Nightfall on the Terminus_. One of the Nulls apparently shot it in the panic, which is why it's been resolved."

Yeah that sounded about right for the one time she decided to host a holothriller fest and picked horror as the first night's theme.

"Tell Kursk and Tecs that I recommend refresher cleaning duty for that group." She drawled dryly. "They can start with the engineering decks and work their way up from there."

"Understood sir." Yap acknowledged before contacting them.

Kelia crossed her legs and relaxed, it was nice to have a slow day for once, no flimsiwork, no battles.

Though she _did_ have concerns about the sudden transfer of Mineth to Special Forces without any proper Commando training, as apparently she'd been shoehorned into an operational plan to provide Delta squad with a fifth member on the fly.

The Bothan smelled Ielec's hand at work, trying to get Mineth and Fixer together.

They would have words over that abuse of authority later.

Still, it worked out fine, Mineth at least acknowledged her limitations and didn't push herself too hard trying to keep up with the Commandos, whom had likewise gone at a slower pace anyways due to the tricky terrain of Raxus Prime.

Well, that was for later anyways.

She smiled softly moved the brim of her cap out of her eyes as she relaxed and watched the ships pass by.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kelia saw a ship, a CR90, head out to join the defense screen, watching it slot into position thousands of kilometers away, visible only via the light from its drive engines…

Inspiration struck her.

She had the _perfect_ idea for how to burn time.

* * *

Mineth, and several Clones, screamed as a Technobeast Rancor suddenly burst through the wall of the fortress that was serving as a last stand for a group of outmatched PSF soldiers the holothriller, the beast turned droid Sith abomination howling as a platoon of soldiers fired helplessly at the creature with primitive slugthrower rifles, as was typical of the pre-Ruusan era's degrading technological state outside of key regions of the Galaxy, as a horde of other Technobeasts poured into a room, viral spores issuing from the mouths of the humanoid abominations while the animal ones clambered over every surface as the swarm of patchwork metal creatures advanced on the helpless troopers as they blazed away with their weapons.

Ordo sat there, watching in shock as the men and women too joined the horde, metal crawling and scabbing over their skin and flesh.

This was only a thousand or so years ago, a relatively _recent_ development in terms of Sith atrocities.

Part of him wondered how many were irrevocably converted into machinelike abominations by Sith sorcery.

It cut to another scene, showing several Jedi Lords and their retainers readying for battle, a last stand while their fleets prepared to bombard the world and sterilize all on it.

A'den gently elbowed him and pointed at the fact that Fixer had wrapped an arm around Mineth to calm her down, something Ordo found odd given she handled herself well in combat but... Something like this wasn't anything one would want to see bearing down on them in real life. "Hey, y'know that Bothans can interbreed with humans in some cases, right?" A'den noted, drawing his fellow Null out of his thoughts.

Ordo gave his brother a blank stare. "No."

"Well, they can."

"No." Ordo said flatly.

"Bu-"

"No."

"B-"

"No. Let it happen naturally if it happens at all." Ordo stated in warning.

"_Udesii_, it was just me making a snide comment Ordo. Have no interest in trying to rush it unlike the two _di'kute_ over there." A'den sighed as he thumber at Sev and Scorch before muttering something under his breath.

"Fair enough."

Both Nulls winced as one Jedi in the holothriller was dragged flailing and flinging abominations away with force pushes into the horde of Technobeasts by a swarm of humanoids bearing pincer-claws, crablike legs, and even multiple heads. "How accurate was this holoflic anyways?" A'den asked.

"It was actually financed by a few _dar'manda_ whom had recordings of a few battles as heirlooms apparently, so probably as accurate as you'll get in this day and age." Boss remarked from the side.

Ordo suddenly felt small, as if his accomplishments meant little against beings who could twist the very laws of nature and reality to their whim through the Dark Side.

He understood a _lot _more about why _Kal'buir_ disliked Force users, particularly Dark Siders, now.

Mineth squeaked again and pressed closer to Fixer as a burrowing Technobeast took out a Mandalorian Warrior fighting alongside the Jedi as a mercenary retainer.

Of course, there was always the likelier and more pragmatic side to _Kal'buir's_ mindset he realized at that moment.

Ordo sighed, wondering why everything had to be so nuanced and complicated.

He himself always found it easier to ID a threat, target it, and eliminate it than it was to talk any form of politics.

Though he did wonder if that _had_ to be the case for him.

Perhaps, perhaps not. Only time would tell.

* * *

Kelia clicked her tongue. "Right, restart scenario." She instructed a Republic Navy TC series protocol droid, the grey and green unit nodding and tapping away at the console.

It was a simple defensive scenario, Kelia had nine _Venators_, six _Velites_, fifteen _Dreadnaughts_, three _Gladiators_, twelve _Acclamators_, twelve _Arquitens_, three CD10s, six _Carracks_, nine _Captors_, three _Recusants_ and a _Lucrehulk _that'd been purchased by a loyalist sector from HKD prior to the war, thirty odd Charger c70s, twelve Sentinel c20s, nine Patroller c15s, twelve DP20s, eighteen CR90s, nine _Marauder_ corvettes, and twelve _Peltas_ to deploy as she saw fit. Fighters were a standard mix of Republic Navy V-19s, BTL-A2s, _Cords_ and Delta-7As mixed with ex-Judicial and Sector Forces Z-95 Headhunters, BTL-A1 and S1 Y-Wings, Cutlass-9s, and A-6 starfighters, the latter groups being carried aboard the _Captors _or the _Lucrehulk_.

Against her fleet were six _Lucrehulks_, ten _Captors_, eighteen _Recusants_, three _Providences_, thirty-six _Munificents_ including twelve theoretical light carrier variants, eighteen _Grandcells_, and eighteen _Fantails_ plus escorts.

The scenario was intended to test a prospective Admiral's ability to set up their fleet, including the use of irregular assets such as PSF or former Judicial craft.

Victory was recommended but not necessary, as the scenario was simply a capability test.

Kelia chose to place the carriers clustered together, screened by the other ships.

She kept her corvettes and other fast ships away from the rest this time, while useful as screens, their mobility and ability to hit well above their tonnage reminded her of her studies of Corellia's doctrine during the Seventeenth Alsakan Conflict, where their fast and heavily armed and shielded frigates, themselves originally intended as pickets for Corellia's own capital ships, rendered the vast battleship squadrons defending Alsakan and Coruscant obsolete the moment the first ship left the cradle she was built in.

Sure enough, the CIS came into the system in the same formation as before, a massive three-layered inverse wedge that gave them optimum firing arcs for their forward firing heavy guns, the most useful organization for a fleet with a heavy emphasis on axial mounted weaponry.

It also rendered them vulnerable to flanking attacks without supplementary formations to protect the main force.

_Extremely_ vulnerable.

Her fast attack groups fell on the flanks of the Separatist fleet in moments, inciting chaos and causing the AI commander to redirect most of its fighters and bombers to try and counter the nimble corvettes.

Numerous CIS warships had gone down before they could redirect their attention as the main force simultaneously drove forwards, shattering the wedge with turbolasers, missiles, and torpedoes while fighters and bombers swept what the larger ships didn't get.

Kelia smirked, while it was unlikely that such a scenario would play out like that in practice, it was good theoretical thinking, would do well to keep her from falling into the same logical traps that countless officers throughout history had succumbed to.

Perhaps some more reading was in order? Maybe, she could use some studying to see what past lessons could be applied to this conflict, preferably before she learned them the _hard_ way.

The doors slid open, Ielec striding into the room. "You wanted to see me Kel?" She asked as she put her hands on her hips, raising a stenciled-on eyebrow.

Kelia shut off the simulation after saving her logs and dismissed the protocol droid, which nodded and strode away. "Yeah, I need to talk to you about your little appropriation of Mineth for the Commando op on Raxus Prime." The Bothan said as she crossed her arms under her breasts, narrowing her eyes. "What the _haran_ were you thinking!?" She snapped.

The violet skinned Twi'lek shrank back, Kelia was a friend, but she was also a superior officer. And it was showing in the way she was speaking. "Well…"

"I know you Ielec, you wanted to try and play matchmaker because you saw the budding affection Mineth showed Fixer, which he returned to a degree. The issue is you could've gotten her _killed_ you karking _di'kut_. She's lucky the Force was watching out for her because she's not nearly as well trained or as capable as them, hell she got a crash course in how to operate their gear because she didn't have any time for anything better!"

Ielec wrung her hands. "Yeah… I screwed up…"

"Screwed up is putting it _lightly_, if she'd gotten seriously injured then Delta Squad would've been put at serious risk, they wouldn't just leave her behind if she was still alive and we couldn't vector in any medevac until after the AA positions were cleared, which in turn had would've had a ripple effect on the rest of the battle! Because you didn't think it through, the _entire assault_ could've been put in Jeopardy! THUS, YOU RISKED _TENS OF THOUSANDS_ OF LIVES BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO PUSH TWO PEOPLE INTO BEING A COUPLE!" Kelia ranted, her voice finally peaking in a yell as she got into Ielec's face. "DO YOU UNDERSTAND NOW HOW BADLY YOU 'SCREWED UP' NOW?!"

It took every bit of her willpower not to switch fully over to _Mando'a_, which would leave the specifics of the message utter lost on Ielec.

And without getting personal about it either, since Mineth was the _last_ link she had to a childhood innocence that died one fateful day on Kothlis.

Which came roundabout to why she was in the Navy in the first place, to _stop_ such atrocities from happening on her watch.

"Y… Yes… Ma'am..." The Twi'lek chattered, rattled now.

Kelia exhaled, feeling her heart pounding in her chest and taking a moment to calm down as she pinched the sides of her muzzle. "Listen… I didn't mean to yell… But would you _think_ about the consequences… Regardless, I'm relieved everything worked out, but that doesn't mean we should press our luck on this matter."

Ielec nodded softly. "Right…" She conceded.

Kelia slumped into a nearby chair and rubbed her temple while inspecting the blond fur on her hand. "I swear, I think my fur is going to gray out before I'm thirty at this rate… To say nothing of my hair…" She remarked dryly.

The Twi'lek snorted.

"Oh shut up! You don't even _have_ hair, let alone fur!" Kelia snapped at her.

"Yeah, and that's just evolution for you." Ielec snarked dryly as she sat down next to Kelia. "So, when we finally rotate back to Triple Zero, there's a nice spa I want to take you and Mineth to, take a relaxing hot tub dip, have some girl talk, maybe ask if your husband loaded your cargo hold during your inevitable post-homecoming sex, that sort of stuff."

Kelia huffed. "Please, I'll use a condom if he doesn't."

"Just don't get too drunk or excited that you forget to put it in before _he_ does." Ielec warned her.

The Bothan waved her off but smiled nonetheless, glad that they'd moved past the unfortunate incident and were trying to turn the subject to something happier.

"So, what next?"

Kelia shrugged. "Dunno, probably just running basic ops for the next few days, maybe a few drills, signing off on replacement equipment and troops, that sort of stuff."

"Usual boring grind?"

"Usual boring grind."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." The Twi'lek chuckled.

The Bothan rolled her eyes as she sat up straighter. "You wanna check the news and see what the Seppies are saying to cover their _shebs_?"

"Oh that'll be _hilarious_." Ielec said, standing up with Kelia, the two women heading out of the sim room and towards the officer's lounge.

* * *

**13:7:2 GRS**

**Kelia Los'ean's apartment, Naval Base Aurek, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Korsk winced as Litat tugged at his mane fur, gently patting the youngling on the head as she giggled while he watched the news after changing her diapers.

So far it'd been the usual vague reports of fighting on various fronts against overwhelming odds, and the Republic had claimed a major victory with a strike on the Raxus system that highlighted the vulnerability of the CIS to attack.

KDY and Taim and Bak stocks had jumped exponentially in value when holofootage of a single _Venator_ taking on two CIS warships over the surface of Raxus Prime and _winning_ was leaked to the news by intelligence as part of an ongoing propaganda campaign, with the former using it to demonstrate the versatility of their warships.

That sickened him slightly to think that KDY was _still_ thinking about profits even when a war was going on, though he presumed they wanted every last dig in on the Trade Federation they could get owing to the Eriadu conference.

He rewound the footage and then stopped, seeing one of the massive aurebesh nameplates on the _Venator_.

Seven letters in a pattern he _easily_ recognized, hazed out yes, but he recognized the general shape due to the sloppiness of the censoring.

It was the _Kestrel_.

"Look Litat, that's your mama's ship taking down those bad droids." He whispered softly to his daughter.

The little Bothan cooed happily and clapped as she watched the _Patriot's Destiny_ burn and fall from the sky as the _Providence_ fled out of the camera view.

Cath glanced over from where she was cleaning her _buy'ce_, wiping off the visor of the helmet she'd inherited from her own grandmother, who in turn inherited it from her grandfather and so on.

Mandalorian armor always skipped a Generation, to allow both parent and child to take to the field in armor if necessary, something clan Aean held to even if it was merely ceremonial at this point. "Hmph, damned crazy of _Kel'ika_, but she's got more brains than half the Navy if that stunt alone is any indication." She appraised, her own naval career being more theoretical than practice, and even then, she'd never held a ship command due to her temperament. She preferred to play the role of the hardass XO whom kept everyone in line anyways.

Korsk smiled softly as he hefted a suddenly drowsy Litat and stood up. "Alright, it's time for your nap kiddo." He whispered, noting she'd expended most of her energy already.

The toddler yawned as he carried her off to her room, gently lowering her into her cradle and making sure she couldn't hurt herself or worse on anything before turning on the monitor droid and walking back to the living room.

He glanced over at Cath, whom seemed unusually pensive about something. "You hear anything from Jakys recently…?"

"No… And that worries me." She sighed.

The falling out among the Los'ean family after Burukt died hadn't been pretty, with Jakys taking his father's armor, having it modified and repainted with a pattern not unlike that on Kelia's suit, and then deciding to adhere more towards Mandalorian traditions than Bothan ones by becoming a gun for hire.

Whether to honor him or spite him she didn't know.

Kelia, being pregnant and _extremely_ hormonal, hadn't been helpful in the slightest during that period, taking out her frustration, sorrow, and anger regarding her father's death on just about everyone around her.

Korsk meanwhile had kept his mouth shut, nothing he'd say would've helped in the slightest.

"I'm sure he'll be fine… He's probably just tied up with something."

She made a noise. "That's what worries me… What the hell is he doing that's kept him so silent?"

* * *

**13:7:2 GRS**

**Qiilura, Qiilura System, Qiilura Sector.**

Jakys Los'ean frowned as his boss, Ghez Hokan, inspected his quarters yet again. "With all due respect sir, that _Jetii_ is just trying to _survive_ ever since her _di'kut_ master went and got himself sold out and killed." The Bothan pointed out. "Plus, why the _haran_ would I keep her on our 'base' if I was hiding her?"

Hokan snorted as he picked up some magazines from underneath the bunk, mostly weapons catalogues and some pornography, before tossing them onto Jakys's bed. "Fine, you're clear, but I want you to keep a closer eye on the stupid _mir'osik_ mercs we've got working for us. If they start murdering the farmers or burning buildings without a damn good reason, I want them shot in the legs and brought to _me_ so I can kill them because the damn Barq is no good to anyone if the people who tend the fields are all karking _dead_, their supplies and equipment are destroyed, and their relatives and neighbors want _us_ dead." The Mando ordered. "Plus, I wouldn't put it past them to get tricked by her into thinking she'll offer them 'favors' if they hide her under our noses if she gets desperate enough."

Even though the likelihood of the Padawan ever resorting to that was absolute zero, Jakys's blue and red trimmed grey helmet dipped in a nod anyways. "Got it… What about the Republic? Should I just shoot to kill if they show up?" He inquired.

"They have no reason to come here aside from that Jedi, unless what Uthan's doing draws them here, so if they do, just blast them. _Tayli'bac_?" He uttered harshly.

"_Ni suvarir_." Jakys acknowledged without pause, wary of his boss's normally poor temper.

Hokan wasn't Death Watch or True Mandalorian, and certainly wasn't a New Mandalorian...

He was just Mando, which meant that one merely had to have common sense and honor to not end up on his bad side.

Problem was, his sense of honor was... _Flexible_ to say the least.

And most under his employ at the moment were rank idiots at best barring himself and a few of the Trandoshans.

"_Jate_." Hokan replied, and then the bulky human _Mando'ade_ left the room, leaving Jakys to finish cleaning his A280 rifle, which he'd purchased from a very 'generous' Quartermaster for an ORSF base on Luptoom a month before the Clone Wars began to replace the absolutely _garbage _blaster rifle he'd been using beforehand.

His A280 wasn't a Scalphunter, so it wasn't the most durable weapon in existence despite its toughness.

He'd have gotten a Scalphunter instead, but they were a bit pricy to say the least.

Still, the 280 was a tough rifle, and a powerful one too, some of the organic CIS soldiers who he'd talked to in local bars while they were briefly rotated to Quiilura swore that they've seen fully armored Clones get cut in half at mid-range by A280s and their sibling A295s firing on high power.

He doubted he'd have to fire it at Clones anytime soon, but, whatever. You often could never tell when something was about to go horribly wrong unless it was hologrammed early enough.

He carefully loaded the fragile gas cell into the weapon before locking the compartment back up, snorting derisively as he did so.

Those half-wits that Lik Ankkit hired were even more worthless than B1s, but the cheap Neimoidian didn't want to show off that there was a Separatist presence here.

Instead, the only inklings of a hostile presence were two _Mandoa'de_ dumb enough to accept the job and a bunch of mercs even the Hutts and Black Sun would be reluctant to hire owing to their criminal records.

That Ankkit ended up having to buy dozens of spare _blasters_ because many of these morons, particularly the Weequay, couldn't even load a gas cell properly without breaking it should've clued him in that this was a bad idea.

Shocking that all the pirate gangs, criminal groups, and the Hutts claimed the more competent ones.

There was a crash of glass from up the hall of the old farmhand barracks they were using, followed by raucous and likely drunk laughter from the Weequay and Nikto.

Speaking of that, sounded like they just broke _another_ gas cell.

"Should've went with the karking droids." He muttered under his breath.

Well, he had a patrol in six hours, once the Gdan had gone back underground, might as well lock his door, get his WESTAR-35 ready to shoot one of the stupid _shabuir _if they tried to break into his room while he was sleeping, and then get some shuteye.

Locking the power cell into his rifle and safing it, he laid back down and took his helmet off, staring at the accusing muzzle faceplate of the object.

He put it down next to him and sighed.

Why did he feel like his current choice of jobs was a bad idea? And not just because it was nearly impossible for him to get laid to relieve some of the stress? Or was it the karking Gdans and their lethal scratches and bites because those blasted animals were so filthy?

Oh, right, it was because the Republic was going to come down on this planet _hard_ at some time or another with Ord Mantell being literally a mere system away.

Sometimes he wondered if he'd picked the right career path.

Regardless, for better or worse, it was his job…

Didn't mean he wouldn't bail on it if it suited him, dying on a _pal'osik_ world like this wasn't exactly the way he desired to go out.

Plus, given how cheap Ankkit was… Nobody could really begrudge him for taking an offer from a higher bidder, he'd honor a contract, but if he had enough reservations about the job, then he had no qualms ditching it if the pay wasn't worth what was being asked of him anymore.

Dying honorably only really mattered if the cause was worth it to him, each Mando had their own set of beliefs on the subject, but most generally agreed that dying for honor while as a merc was... Not ideal to say the least.

Really the only thing he found enjoyable about this job was that cute Hypercomms Cartel clerk over at the transmission station in Teklet who was_ probably _a Spynet operative hired by Republic Intelligence to investigate Qiilura's CIS connections.

What he was sure of was that she an _extremely_ good lay after striking it up with her during his downtime, probably would join up with her to provide a bit of muscle for her ops if this job went south.

He smirked. Shame Hokan didn't see it the same way.

But there's a reason he ended up leading this circus.

Oh well, his loss. Maybe in a couple weeks he could negotiate his severance agreement, no hush money, just an honorable way out.

* * *

High above the surface of Qiilura, a crop-dusting vessel impacted a bird and burst into flames.

Then the rear ramp opened, and four Clone Commandos leapt out the back with a substantial amount of gear with them, the last after grabbing several repeating blaster sections before leaping just before the craft careened into the ground and exploded in a barq field, his descent trajectory and timing taking him well away from his brothers.

Omega Squad had made planetfall.

* * *

**13:7:4 GRS**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Lantilles System, Lantillian Sector.**

Kelia slapped her alarm clock and grumbled loudly to herself as she sat up, flicking a bang out of her eyes before stretching and slipping out of bed while pulling the strap of her tanktop back over her shoulder.

Picking up a datapad as she headed over to her dresser and pulled out a fresh pair of undergarments, Kelia sighed as she looked over the latest status report.

Skywalker had managed to send a distress call and Kenobi was leading a force to the Kashyyyk system to liberate Alaris Prime, though it was long apparent by now that Dooku had escaped.

Gressler had attached a note regarding his feelings about the lack of martial punishment for Skywalker beyond the glorified NJP Kenobi had given him, which she tacitly agreed with given the sheer scale of the screwup on Raxus Prime.

There was still that barely restrained xenophobia behind his words, especially given his overly eloquent way of saying 'you're a fekking alien' in no less than different sentences when referring to her about recent operations, but he'd developed a form of professional respect.

Probably the best she could hope for.

Back on the subject of his message, Skywalker was a good man, very capable and well meaning, but that _osik_ wasn't tolerable in the slightest.

Alas, it was indeed an internal Jedi matter, and they weren't strictly military, so she put aside her problems with it for the moment, but she made a note to file a formal reprimand to the Jedi Council nonetheless about Skywalker's discipline issues.

Not like they didn't have their own reservations given his record...

Meanwhile the _Kestrel_ was still undergoing the final stages of a full scan of her structural integrity, minor repairs to some systems, a few minor overhauls including the addition of more point defense cannons, and some other changes such as increased escape pod capacity.

All things she very much appreciated, every additional PD cannon was a chance some suicidal droid trying to ram her bridge would be shot down...

In that moment she realized that no, she hadn't quite let what happened on Muunilinst go. And in fact had taken it wu

"Next _chakaar_ who tries that gets a bolt through their brains." She grumbled under her breath.

Thankfully nothing major was required, though main battery turret esk, the third turret on the starboard side, was developing a bit of a lag compared to the other cannons during high speed rotation drills, indicating an overhaul was due to figure out that particular issue once they had the time.

It wasn't anything too bad though, just a couple milliseconds difference compared to previous drills, and it could simply be a rounding error on the computer's part.

For more personal affairs, there were a few messages from clanmates relayed via her mother, most of them from younger kin inquiring about the _Kestrel_ and the Clones, which she'd have to keep her words carefully chosen when responding because of the censors.

Kids, always so eager to see shiny new things, maybe someday her duties would take her to Bothuwai, Los'starn did boast a sizable fleet base given clan Aean's stranglehold on the Bothan military.

She wondered if the expansions they'd been making in response to the looming threat of war when she'd left for Anaxes were done yet.

Those had probably paid off in spades for the clan as Bothuwai expanded her Sector Forces by buying ships from anyone it could given her neutrality.

After that were some holos of Litat from Korsk that caused her to smile, alongside a typical missive describing what they'd been up to, she'd have to set up a projector in her office at some point, especially since all the damage from her enraged fit had been repaired.

Not her proudest moment.

Next was a notice about _Glory's_ dock crews loading some new walkers apparently, something direct from KDY this time.

Interesting, she'd probably have to head down to the vehicle bays to check it out.

On the subject of Mineth, there was an update from Ielec about her running more exercises with Delta.

She may never equal the Commandos in combat, but she was at least well on her way to keeping up with them.

Grabbing the bustier and panties, she made her way to the refresher to take a sonic shower before finally starting her day.

* * *

Mineth slowly worked on her DC-17m between training exercises, tongue flicking out of her mouth occasionally as she did so, her grey tanktop stained with grease and oil, the same with her rolled up cargo pants.

The Bothan was secretly glad that command reassigned Delta to the _Kestrel_. She was secretly worried that Kelia would push herself too hard at times the more this war went on, and wanted to at least stem that desire to overperform even when it wasn't needed.

Anyway, back on the subject of the 17m, she could see the reason for the design, it was intended to allow quick reloads in combat, though apparently the issue of holstering it was widespread, and reloading was especially an issue for those rare users who were left-handed.

This issue couldn't be easily remedied due to the weapon's modular design, which prevented the use of a vertical pack or more compact type as used on the DC-15s or other blasters.

Maybe an update with dual power feeds for the blaster variant then? Or perhaps a more robust and compact power pack?

She shrugged as she flipped the weapon around, wondering how to make that work.

Eh, it was an idea to pitch to the eggheads at BlasTech in the future.

Fixer eyed the Bothan from where he was cleaning his DC-15s pistol next to her. "Need any help?"

She looked at him and shook her head as she tested the blaster and frowned as she noted that the gas cell wasn't registering. "Nah, it's fine." The Bothan unhooked the blaster attachment and inspected the gas cell, checking it for any cracks or other imperfections. "Hey, Fixer, can you hand me a spare 17m gas cell?" She asked.

He nodded, noting that she was 'in the zone' as she called it, just like when they'd been in combat, and therefore less distracted by whatever about him distracted her at times.

Which was good, she'd be a liability otherwise.

Though at times like this, he noticed how her fur shifted, how smooth and seemingly skinlike it was, the fact she smelled like blaster cleaning solvent and ozone, which somehow _didn't_ smell odd on her…

Wait… Why the kriff was he focusing on _smells_? He wasn't a karking weirdo like some of Kal's boys for the stars' sake.

Blinking his odd thoughts away, Fixer handed her the gas cell, Mineth taking the old one out and noting that the previous cell's gas valve had corroded just enough to trigger the safety lock on the weapon, likely from exposure to Raxus Prime's caustic acid mists when she was swapping to the grenade launcher attachment and back.

Odd, why was it working for her in combat then instead of seizing up? Delayed corrosion? No matter, it needed to be addressed so she might as well replace it and anything else that might've been compromised.

Thankfully the tibanna could be drained and packed into a new canister within an hour or so.

"Fixer, I want to have a look at everyone's Deeces, make sure the gas cells and valves are all in working order." She said.

He nodded at her, having seen the state of the gas cell. "Right, will do."

She nodded back and locked the new cell in after making sure everything was working properly. "Wanna head down to the range and test them when we're done?" She asked.

Fixer smirked. "Why miss the only _fun_ part about maintaining weaponry?" The Commando chuckled.

Mineth giggled. "Too true." She agreed.

"JUST ASK HIM ALREADY YOU DENSE _DI'KUT_!" Scorch suddenly shouted from across the armory, earning him a few glares from rank and file Clones who were tending to their weapons as well. "FOR FEKSSAKE, WATCHING THIS IS LIKE WATCHING RAIN HIT A WINDOW ON KAMINO!"

Sev yanked him back down behind the cover of a locker as Mineth went red, fur rippling along her neck.

"Tell me what?"

The Bothan flushed. "Well… It's just that…"

"JUST DO IT!" Scorch shouted before being muffled by Sev again.

"WOULDYOULIKETOGOONADATEWITHMEWHENWEHAVELEAVE!?" The Bothan squeaked in fright, words issuing from her mouth in rapidfire.

"What…?" Fixer asked. "What the kriff is a… 'Date'?"

"What?" Mineth asked back, confused by both her own frantic chattering and Fixer's equally befuddled reply. "Well… It's… When two people, usually in a relationship… Uh… Try to spend some… Personal time together…"

"Is it the same way the Commodore spends personal time with her husband according to Sabre?" Fixer asked dryly.

"NOTLIKETHAT…! Well it depends on what he means." She shouted before self-correcting.

"I think he meant it like… Sex?"

Mineth looked woozy suddenly. "Uh… Are you okay?"

"Illbefinegottaliedown…" She muttered before falling over onto her side, accidentally ending up with her head in Fixer's lap.

The Commando raised an eyebrow. "I'm gonna assume that's _not_ what you meant then… So, okay I guess?"

Mineth replied with a tired and confused but happy utterance.

Fixer merely patted her on the head, earning a soft purr in return.

* * *

Sev groaned, the plan had nearly failed because of how much of a spaz Mineth was when flustered. "Well that somehow worked out well." He muttered.

"What does that mean?!" Scorch snapped back.

"It means that despite your lack of skills everything turned out fine, just like a lot of your demo jobs." Sev remarked dryly as he turned and walked out.

"Aw, that's… Wait, HEY!" Scorch shouted after realizing he'd been partially insulted, following after his brother.

* * *

Kelia sighed as she stepped into vehicle bay five.

She swore her clothes, particularly around the chest and hips, had gotten tighter, but she'd long since passed the point where she'd be able to tell if she was pregnant from the last time she'd had sex with Korsk, so it was probably either something she ate, she was just imagining things _again_.

Or this uniform and set of underwear got shrunk in the wash.

Probably that bit was most likely, much to her chagrin.

Regardless, it was a negligible issue in the grand scheme of things, unless she was actually pregnant, which would be a _massive_ issue for her to deal with for rather obvious reasons.

Still, she straightened her jacket as she strode into the vehicle bay, where a group of Clones of varying stripe, mostly troopers, vehicle crews, and flight crewers was assembled around a sub-bay, the men gazing upon four of the biggest damn walkers she'd ever seen, the quartet of eighteen to twenty meter tall quadrupedal war machines towering over everything else on the deck.

Well, at least she thought they were that tall based on ballparking the size compared to a set of nearby AT-XTs and AT-TEs.

Heads protruded from the front of the vehicles, with medium blaster cannons on the 'ears' and large tusk-like heavy chin lasers mounted on spherical gimballs, there was also what looked like an AA turret or two on the top of each machine.

She walked up to Tecs, whom was inspecting a datapad showing off the specifications of the machines, including a side view which had an interesting detail view of the vehicles. "What the hell are these things?" She asked after returning his salute, as was so damn routine that she'd stopped consciously noticing the entire process after her first week on the _Kestrel_.

Good thing Jedi technically didn't have to be saluted, stars knew how many salutes they'd have to return in a given hour.

"AT-ATs sir, new prototypes from KDY… We think they got shipped to us by mistake since there's a _Sarcina_ called the _Vestal_ down in Thirteenth Army Group's AO." The Clone Major explained with an exasperated sigh while a Clone Captain argued with a Clone armor crewman nearby.

Of course it would be the result of a flimsiwork mix-up caused by some stupid _besom _in logistics. "Wonderful… What the hell are we supposed to do with these then? The LAAT/cs can't carry them. Only some modified _Gozanti_ variant." She pointed out.

"Well, we're not the only ones, their crews are annoyed they're not off on the front."

Kelia sighed as her datapad chimed, the Bothan groaning. "Well, we don't have time to transfer them, we just got new orders from Coruscant, we're to report to the Qiilura System as soon as possible due to a developing situation."

"Qiilura? That's not exactly 'close' even if it's a relatively quick trip, how bad is it?"

"How bad do you define 'Count Dooku showing up out of literally nowhere with over a dozen large ships, including a _Providence _and two _Lucrehulks_, plus escorts, and then landing an at least legion sized force on the planet for reasons unknown' as bad?" She asked.

"I wouldn't even know where to begin ma'am."

"Yeah, so that bad. By the way, where the hell is Kursk? Shouldn't he be down here trying to help figure what to do with these AT-ATs?"

"Uh… Last I heard, he's on the horn with Kavel over on the _Candasseri_ to try and foist the walkers off to the 38th since that ship is attached to our squadron for the time being, some of the boys are joking that he just wants to see General Be'ti again."

Kelia gave him an off-put look. "She's like four times his age chronologically speaking and a _Jedi_ so I don't think they fully understand what going on, but whatever... Also, what the hell is it with Clones on this ship and Bothans? Between this and the skimpy pinups I'm actually legitimately getting concerned."

"You _do_ cut a 'distinctive' figure sir." Tecs coughed nonchalantly. "Tends to leave an impression since you're likely the first female of _any_ species that isn't a karking Kaminoan that most of the boys have ever seen before. Naturally this filters down to the shinies who come aboard rather quickly and well, it's sort of a self-fulfilling prophecy from there."

The Bothan huffed while rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I know… Honestly, I get the impression that if I wasn't _married_, Sabre would be at the front of the line of possible suitors from among my crew."

"Not Perth?"

Kelia gave him a dry look. "Heh, Perth is practically married to the _ship_. He's already acting as the de-facto Captain whenever I'm busy with my new fleet command duties. Might promote him to give the girl a proper commander again." She mused, starting to drift off topic.

"Topic sir. And really, _Sabre_?"

The Bothan nodded. "Thanks." She told Tecs, whom nodded back. "Anyways, I think it's mostly because Sabre is more or less my go-to man whenever Perth isn't available, even if that's not apparent since he's been busy running errands around the ship, so he's probably developed something along the lines of feelings for me even if he knows I'll never reciprocate…" She sighed and paused for a moment as Tecs muttered something about him pitying Sabre. "Setting aside this increasingly depressing line of thought for the moment… Where are the ARCs and the Bad Batch?" She inquired.

"Bad Batch left the ship overnight for their next assignment, while the ARCs are down in their quarters as usual, they haven't been reassigned off the ship yet, which is odd, makes me wonder if Special Operations Command has them on an emergency hold order. That or they're just ignoring anything until Skirata tells them otherwise." Tecs huffed. "Probably both all things considered. Least they try not to step on anyone's feet unlike the karking Alphas and their little posses of Betas and Gammas though.""

Kelia noted the still ongoing distrust of the Nulls, which was admittedly well-founded since the rank and file Clones, and even most of the Commandos and other ARCs, were very hierarchal beings, anyone who didn't follow orders because they plain didn't want to was usually deemed a possible liability at best. "Well, anyways, on that note, we're just about ready to depart, no issues structurally but I was reprimanded earlier that while my stunt paid off, that I wasn't to attempt such a maneuver again unless absolutely necessary." Kelia said calmly.

Tecs nodded. "You should probably be heading up to the bridge then sir."

"Right." The Bothan replied before chiming the 1MC. "Now hear this! All hands stand by for departure! I repeat, all hands stand by for departure!" She announced, her voice echoing over speakers throughout the ship.

Clones scrambled to their stations as alarms began to blare.

* * *

**13:7:4 GRS**

**Lantilles System, Lantillian Sector.**

The _Kestrel_, _Hawk-Bat_, _Regency_, and _Candaserri_ undocked from station _Glory_ in concert with six _Arquitens_, three _Dreadnaughts_, seven _Peltas_, twelve Charger c70s, nine Sentinel c20s, six Patroller c15s, and the _Gladiator_-class Star Destroyer, _Demolisher_ in tow.

Organizing around the flagship, the _Kestrel_, the squadron made their way to the hyperlane jumppoint that would take them coreward up the Perlemian, retracing their steps back towards Coruscant, and then up towards the New Territories.

And Qiilura.

Once cleared, they jumped into hyperspace, marking the start of the long journey towards their destination.

* * *

**AN: Yeah, uh, that's how this turned out.**

**Probably would've been a bit cooler with my original idea, but constantly flipping between the _Kestrel_ and Qiilura would've gotten tedious after a point.**

**Anyway, instead of the stick-legged METAL BAWKSES we see in the SW:Republic comics, the Republic AT-ATs are instead based on the Rebels version, albiet with beefier main laser cannons, ear blasters, slightly thicker legs, and Republic coloring and markings.**

**Ultimately, both are based on the original concept art by Ralph McQuarrie and Joe Johnston, one just doesn't have anorexic legs due to bad perspective and art, and actually looks proportional.**


	17. DR: Hard Contact 2

**AN: Chapter 17 standing by.**

**Also, reminder that the Bothans are by far one of **_**the**_** most terrifying species in Star Wars when thoroughly pissed off.**

* * *

**Whiteroseshipper- A fair cop. I can understand the frustration on the length of the arc.**

**Thank god I never adapted the Qiilura stuff I originally planned, which in all likelihood would've added an _additional_ chapter of stuff that wasn't really needed given the length of this major arc.**

**But still, oh boy is**** the Dark Reaper Crisis a_ hell_ of a thing to start out with for an initial major event much to my chagrin, since we're talking about a superweapon that in its sole appearance, basically forced the Republic to go for broke after figuring out what they were up against, and involved a campaign spread across no less than three different planets and a pair of moons over a _very_ vague timeframe of a few weeks to a month.**

**Especially since it takes place simultaneously to Galactic Battlegrounds's CIS and Republic campaigns in that both are literally happening as the war begins in spite of other media saying that the war took some time to get in gear .**

**So on the note of it being at the start of the war, blame the people who sorted out the vaguely defined Clone Wars multimedia project timeline I suppose for that particular bit, since I would've done it later if I could.**

**Hell, I delayed it by a month or so, so there's _that_.**

**Still, I made this metaphorical bed so I guess I'll lie in it.**

**Naturally every major arc after this up until the final weeks of the war will be... _Far_ less lengthy as operational tempos pick up given there'll be a more heavy emphasis on space combat unless otherwise dictated by plot, and there's no shortage of battlefronts to send the _Kestrel_ to in that case instead of having it dick around in the Tion Cluster for like twelve chapters.**

**For example, a similarly key event like Second Geonosis featuring heavy interaction from the main cast of this fic will be like _six_ chapters at most in comparison, longer than its TCW episodic counterpart, but not obscenely long like this.**

**In any event, I'll try to move it along a bit faster from here on out, provided that doesn't completely bork the narrative.**

* * *

**[FLEETCOM TO RAS **_**MAJESTIC**_**: TWO QIILURA SECTOR FORCES SQUADRONS LED BY CRUISERS **_**VENGEANCE**_** AND **_**NIGHTWHISPER **_**EN-ROUTE TO ASSIST. RV BY 0400 GST TOMORROW. ADDITIONAL ASSETS UNDER BATTLEGROUP KESTREL ARRIVING BY 1400 HOURS ALONGSIDE ORD MANTELL UNITS. MISSION ORDERS ARE TO DESTROY CIS NAVAL PRESENCE AND INTERDICT ANY VESSEL LEAVING OR ENTERING QIILURA SPACE BEFORE LANDING GROUND TROOPS. LETHAL FORCE AUTHORIZED AGAINST **_**ANY**_** VESSELS FAILING TO COMPLY. PREPARE BIOHAZARD CONTAINMENT MEASURES.]-****Republic FLEETCOM Message to RAS **_**Majestic**_**, declassified postwar.**

* * *

**13:7:5 GRS**

**RAS **_**Majestic**_**, Qiilura System, Qiilura Sector.**

The _Majestic's_ shields flare a brilliant white-blue as she turned away from a pair of _Lucrehulk_ battleships and a group of escorting _Munificents _and _Recusants_ which were in turn backed by C-9949s, _Hammers_ and a few _Unstintings_, Vulture droids, Hyena and Jackal bombers, and a sizable number of droid piloted _Nantexes_ darting around her, dueling with Sector Group Z-95 Headhunters, C-73 Trackers, and BTL-A1s and Republic Navy V-19 Torrents and _Cords _in pitched dogfights as they tried desperately to prevent the bombers from blasting the _Acclamator's_ hull wide open.

The _Nightwhisper_ was dead in space and venting atmosphere from dozens of rends in her hull, as was one of the _Carracks_ assigned to her flotilla.

_Dreadnaughts_ were tough for their size class, being based on the Mandalorian _Kandosii_-type Dreadnoughts and well armored for a post-Ruusan class, but even they had their limits, as the _Nightwhisper_ demonstrated quite tragically as she was hammered by additional enemy fire to finish her off.

The _Marauder_-class corvette _Windhover_ vanished in a ball of fire as it attempted to buy time for the _Nightwhisper _to abandon ship by acting as a physical barrier, debris flinging in every direction as its missile magazines exploded.

The _Vengeance's _flotilla fell back as well, the other cruiser having taken far more fire than the _Majestic_, her shields constantly flaring as two _Munificents_ hammered her with medium turbolaser fire.

Master Zey grunted as the _Majestic_ took a hit from the main battery of one of the _Recusants_, the ship's Captain, Qav Mevrel, muttering something under his breath, very possibly a curse directed towards the Jedi Master.

"Incoming hyperspace contacts!" Someone shouted from a sensor console.

Everyone standing was then very nearly swept off their feet by a series of shocks as _another_ pair of _Lucrehulks_ jumped out of hyperspace with an escort of nine _Munificents_ and some C-9949s, hitting the _Majestic _from the front with further turbolaser fire.

It was only due to poor accuracy on the enemy's part that they weren't dead yet.

"Shields down by eighty percent!" A Clone naval crewer reported. "Ninety percent! SHIELDS DOWN!" He shouted.

"We've lost the corvettes _Radiant IX_ and _Purview_! Corellian Gunship _Terminal Velocity_ reports they're abandoning ship!" Another added.

Zey paled, this was nothing short of an unmitigated disaster.

All because he was too karking impulsive to wait for further reinforcements.

"_Vengeance_ reports they've lost another escort to enemy fire!"

His Padawan, Bardan Jusik, glanced at him worriedly.

Finally, he made the call. "Retreat." Zey ordered shamefully, resisting the urge to look down at the deck.

This was his fault, he was a coordinator for special forces and a Jedi Master, not a fleet admiral.

"Sir! More contacts coming out hyperspace!"

"Separatist?!" Captain Mevrel demanded, wondering how this could possibly get any worse.

Then the most beautiful thing any of them had seen in _weeks_ appeared.

The _Kestrel_, her twin bridges painted in a resplendent Republic Red to mark her new status as a command ship, jumped out of hyperspace, arrayed around her were fourteen of her sister _Venator_-class ships, three _Gladiators_, six _Velites_, three other _Acclamators_, nine _Dreadnaughts_, a plethora of _Arquitens_ and _Carrack_-class light cruisers, _Pelta_-class frigates, CR90, Charger c70, Sentinel c20, and Patroller c15 corvettes, with the force rounded out by a smattering of DP20 gunships and_ Gozantis_ mixed in with the other corvettes.

Torrents,_ Cords_, Y-Wings, and Clone piloted Delta-7As rippled from flight decks in a swarm, moving to engage the CIS fighters and bombers en-masse in concert with the corvette wolfpacks.

From the opposite direction, one CD10, six _Dreadnaughts_ and three _Captors_ from Ord Mantell, backed by sixteen _Carracks_ and a group of DP20s, _Marauders_, and CR90s, leapt into the system, launching Z-95s and A-6 interceptors to back the main naval forces, catching the CIS forces in a pincer attack.

["_Majestic_, this is the _Kestrel_, reinforcements have arrived."] Kelia's voice rang over the assault ship's comms.

"_Kestrel_, this is RAS_ Majestic_, thank the stars you've arrived." Mevrel exclaimed with a sigh of relief.

Zey likewise let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding.

They just might survive this.

* * *

**13:7:5 GRS**

**RSS _Kestrel_****, Qiilura System, Qiilura Sector.**

Kelia frowned as she looked over the holotable at the situation. "Sloppy, sloppy..." She muttered under her breath, Perth sharing her discontent with the way Zey had handled the initial action. "This is why Jedi who don't know anything about Naval combat should stick to what they know best unless they're willing to learn first." She growled.

Good people dead because some SF brigade commander got it in his head that he could command a fleet, even Anakin's screwup wasn't nearly as egregious because he'd managed to rectify it by saving thousands of Wookiee lives from some CIS superweapon and a followup genocide attempt to cover up what had occurred there according to the report Kenobi filed, in the process inadvertently tipping the ruling groups on Kashyyyk far closer to joining the war on the Republic's side in the process given the devastation their colony on Alaris Prime had apparently suffered at Separatist hands.

She didn't claim to understand the politics involved, but she'd heard stories of Wookiee _Mando'ade_ that'd been passed down through the clan for centuries like all the young members of Clan Aean.

And if Wookiees who didn't adhere to the _Resol'nare_ were _anything_ like that, the Republic could sorely use the help before she was forced to resort to conscription to make up for the ever growing number of enemy droids in both the stars and on the ground.

"I want fighters headed dirtside ASAP, get us in a rapid orbit and tell Delta and the Nulls to standby for a HOPE drop." She ordered. "We have enough firepower to handle the battle upstairs as is, so pull the _Hawk-Bat_ and _Candasseri_ with us alongside six Chargers c70s and a trio of _Arquitens_." The Bothan added after a few moments.

"Sir!"

She sighed and looked at the CIS ships as they began to make a fighting retreat, it was clear as day that they were simply outnumbered and outgunned, not to mention caught in an extremely bad position.

Already she could see two _Munificents_, damaged prior to their arrival, began to crack and break apart under the stress of heavy turbolaser fire, a Recusant's engine section being snapped off by a heavy torpedo hit not long after.

And then the _Kestrel_ turned away.

* * *

**13:7:5 GRS**

**Lik Ankkit's Villa, Qiilura, Qiilura System, Qiilura Sector.**

Jakys recoiled back into the hideyhole he'd made in the villa as he tossed Niner a spare power pack. "How bad are we on the FUBAR meter?" He asked as he peeked his _buy'ce_ out to look, a blaster bolt impacting it in the forehead and causing him to recoil, but otherwise wasn't hurt.

He considered himself _extremely_ fortunate his clan made investments to allow them to produce synthetic _beskar_ via blast furnaces and metallurgical plants, expensive as hell given the high temperatures required to produce the material, but it was only really needed to keep enough of the iron around to repair or build suits for ceremonial purposes. Cheaper than importing it though, especially given the restrictions on exports that the Sundari government had put in place in an attempt to starve a resurgent 'neo' Death Watch shortly before the Clone Wars began.

Didn't know or care all that much about the _osik _being thrown around about a 'Mandalorian Manifest Destiny' that these new guys were spouting, but the very name Death Watch was enough of a sign to him that a Vizsla was in charge... And he'd heard enough stories about what Tor did decades ago to figure that whoever was leading them was little better.

"About a seven." Niner replied flatly as he fired back out his window's bolthole before swapping power packs for his DC-17m, trying not to be somewhat envious at the more durable armor the Mando was wearing.

"What would've been a ten?" Jakys inquired.

"Whatever that purple lightshow that killed an entire karking _mountain range_ was." The Commando informed him as he began firing again, putting short controlled bursts out at the droids probing their defenses.

Jakys nodded begrudgingly in reply, still somewhat shaken after witnessing that as well.

Next to Jakys, Itaet Ven'nan fired her own blaster, a scalphunter rifle, out the window. "Why'd I join up with this karked dungshow again?" She asked both as Darman rushed upstairs behind them with one of the prototype PLX-2Ms in hand, Etain following him with extra ammo.

"Because the alternative was getting blasted to hell and back when we blew the relay station at Teklet? Neither you nor Jakys here had much of a choice really." Niner said candidly as he kept up the return fire.

"In my defense, I wasn't going to submit myself to Hokan's mercy after he straight up had everyone else except the Trandos murdered. Even if they were scum that the Hutts or Black Sun would be reluctant to employ, that's really just not a move that inspires confidence from someone who works for hire." He reiterated to Niner flippantly, aware that the Commando already knew that part. "Especially since I'm not particularly fond of the Separatists for personal reasons."

Niner merely rolled his eyes behind his visor as a volley of bolts tore through the wall nearby. "Don't need to hear that again." He muttered.

"Get over it."

"Still, would it have killed you to at least keep one of the damn tanks, or at least that MUT you brought Uthan here on?" Itaet complained as spray of sniper grade bolts from an E-5s punctured through the plating above her head, forcing her to move away from that portion of the wall.

Mandalorian and Clone alike looked at her. "Yes." Both males replied flatly.

"Right, enemy air dominance, silly me." The calico furred Bothan female sighed as she slammed a new power pack into her weapon after letting the old one fall to the ground, wheeling to fire the blaster out the hole some idiot B1 had punctured into the plating because they kept firing _sniper rifles_ on full auto like a light repeating blaster.

Upstairs, they could hear Atin hammering away with the EWHB-12 at an enemy platoon that was advancing upon them.

Thankfully, the space battle upstairs had meant that almost all the enemy air was either STAPs, ASPs, or MAFs now, which had only strafed them so far.

The bad news was that last any of them heard, the Navy was getting its _shebs_ handed to it because Zey got impatient and jumped the gun before reinforcements from Coruscant arrived.

Made Niner reconsider his thoughts on the Jedi rather abruptly.

"Atin, status on Uthan?!" Niner barked.

["Still intact and still cooperative sarge, and just as good… I don't think Hokan's quite decided that if the CIS can't have her, nobody can, just yet."] Omega's slicer replied with a grunt as blast from an AAT shook the building. ["Maybe he's starting to reconsider that though."]

"Darman!"

["On it _ner vod_."] Omega's demolitionist said.

A rocket lanced out towards the AAT from the second floor, spearing it directly at a vulnerable point between the main gun and the hull, blowing apart the vehicle, with the turret flinging into the air while the vaguely shovel-footed base of the repulsor tank dug into the dirt, before sinking into the ground, likely smashing through the soil straight to some old Gdan dens given its immense weight.

"Nice shot." Jakys appraised as the other three tanks fell back, another dying to direct hits before the remaining two exploded into balls of flame as a pair of wishbone shaped craft Niner had never seen before screamed overhead at high speed, bombing the hell out of the advancing droid companies and forcing them to fall back to regroup.

Wait a minute, wishbone shaped... That meant those were Y-Wings...

But he didn't remember any version that looked like_ that_...

Must've rolled out while he was in stasis he supposed.

["Omega Squad, this is Delta Advisor operating off of RSS _Kestrel_. What's your status?"] CC-01/425 inquired over comms.

Niner frowned. Delta Advisor? What the hell were Vau's golden boys doing here?

He thought he heard Atin make a remark over team comms but chose not to press him on that.

Still, he wouldn't pass up the help. "Delta Advisor, this is Omega Oh-Nine, we're pinned down at a Villa near Imbraani with Dr. Uthan, two Bothan irregulars, and Commander Tur-Maken. There's a full _regiment_ or two of droids advancing on us, and it's only a matter of time before they figure out they have enough firepower to simply level the building." He replied after tapping his helmet comms.

He thanked the stars that Hokan had underestimated the Gurlanin, were it not for some of Jinart's kin removing the explosives in the cellars and vaults, they probably wouldn't even have had the villa as a fallback point.

["Copy that Omega Oh-Nine, the 608th and 275th Mobile Regiments are moving to assist, Delta Squad, Null-11, and Null-12 are deploying as well, arrival time within ten for the SF units, and within twenty for the ground troops."]

Oh great, Ordo and A'den too…

Sergeant Skirata was going to rip them apart for this debacle afterwards, and that was assuming the Nulls didn't do it first.

["Hey… How are those reinforcements getting down here again?"] Darman inquired over comms, the faint hum of Commander Tur-Maken's lightsaber, which was further punctuated by it deflecting some incoming sniper bolts, echoing over his end of the line.

Niner pursed his lips.

_That_ was a good question.

* * *

**13:7:5 GRS**

**RSS** _**Kestrel**_**, Qiilura System, Qiilura Sector.**

Mineth shuddered as she looked at the absolutely _tiny _HOPE pod that she was to climb into. "Do we _really_ have to do this?" She asked nervously.

She'd gotten in a _bit_ more training, but nothing too much, and she was still only a regular Bothan, unlike the genetically engineered and somewhat cybernetically enhanced Clone Commandos.

Boss shrugged with a frown. "Not everyone is fond of these, especially those Clones who are claustrophobic."

"Yeah but still! The fast-rope was one thing, I have no idea where to even begin with this!" The Bothan retorted.

Boss frowned.

She was right, she wasn't properly trained for this.

Still, every blaster counted. "Computer'll walk you through it, it's meant to be intuitive anyways, are your 'chutes properly packed?"

"Yeah, and the repulsor cells on the pack are charged." She informed him.

"Then you should have little to worry about." Boss paused as the _Kestrel_ shuddered under an impact, likely enemy turbolaser fire. "So just let the automated system handle it, and if worst comes to worse, you have the emergency manual release and your backup 'chute."

The Bothan sighed. "I swear that if this becomes a literal crash course…"

"Then you'll be too _dead_ to complain." Boss pointed out. "Now get ready Eight-Six, we're deploying in five."

She nodded, put on her helmet, closed up the under-muzzle 'chin-guard' plate and climbed into the pod, which was sealed up around her by a pair of techs, whom simultaneously explained every function of the pod's controls to her.

It was then that she realized something, what happened if she got nauseous and had to vomit?

Well, that probably wasn't a primary concern when the armor was designed, now was it?

After what felt like an eternity, an alarm blared in her cylindrical HOPE pod, and she was suddenly ejected from the _Kestrel_ at high velocity.

The tiny capsule shook violently, and the pod's internal temperature suddenly spiked dramatically as it hit atmosphere.

Mineth panted as the air warmed, with the cooling system in her armor barely keeping up.

Second after second passed and she wondered if she would incinerate.

Then the three-minute mark hit, her pod violently decelerated, and then split wide open, Mineth finding herself skydiving towards the surface of Qiilura thousands of meters below.

Flashes of light illuminated the ongoing battle.

Oh hell...

* * *

**13:7:5 GRS**

**Qiilura, Qiilura System, Qiilura Sector.**

Niner watched laserfire shoot skywards and craned his neck to look out a hole in the wall to see flak blasting towards a group of meteors.

Ah, High Orbit Precision Entry pods, that explained the short timeframe.

He just hoped that their...

Aw kark he'd gone and done it, even if it was just mentally.

Fi started laughing suddenly over comms. ["You thought of it too, didn't you Niner?"] He chortled.

Oh for the love of.

* * *

At the nine-hundred-meter mark, Mineth felt her 'chute kick in and she was yanked upwards as it arrested her momentum.

A flash appeared just before her, followed by another and another, black smoke filling the sky.

Slugcannon flak, oh joy.

Wait, when did the ground get that close?!

Her boots hit the ground both faster and slower than she expected and she rolled on impact to absorb the momentum, her chute automatically releasing from the pack as she drew her Deece and rose to her feet.

Nearby, she heard blasterfire as the rest of the drop team engaged the enemy.

Her visor blinked and then the rest of Delta Squad appeared, with markers indicating their general position relative to her and basic vital signs.

Sev, Boss, and Scorch had landed a-ok, but Fixer's vitals were badly impacted by something.

Worse, she was the closest of any of them.

Karabast.

It was odd how she, weighing only ninety kilos and with over half her weight in gear added to that, was able to move so quickly.

Blasterfire ripped through the barq fields as a pair of Super Battle Droids took notice, diverting the entirety of their _very_ narrow band of attention on her.

Mineth tripped on a hole in the field and rolled down into a crater.

By luck, it was where Fixer was, the Commando pointing his pistol at her as he grabbed at a shoulder wound before lowering the weapon after recognizing the Bothan.

Mineth tried to stand up but hissed as pain shot through her ankle. "Four-Oh… What's wrong?"

"Landing course intersected part of a tree branch at too high a velocity. Glove's sealed around the wound but… I got unlucky and it punctured after my shields went down from the impact. 'Stab-proof' glove my _shebs_." He muttered.

She saw the chunk of branch embedded in his arm and pulled out a medical scanner. "Fierfek, it didn't hit any arteries, but it's close to cutting one, just hold still."

Mineth winced as she pulled the object out and then immediately sprayed a canister of bio-sealant foam into the hole before bandaging it up and putting the shoulder bell plate back into place. "You're good for now." She said after scanning and noting that the artery was still intact, her voice a bit quicker than she realized, probably due to the stress.

"Thanks… But we have bigger problems, two to be precise." Fixer grunted while aiming his pistol past her.

Mineth spun to see the bulky outlines of the Supers loom over them, blaster arms trained on the two.

She would never get her rifle up and enough shots out to punch through their armor before she and Fixer were cut to shreds.

Automatic heavy blasterfire scythed down both machines, which fell in heaps with a loud clunk.

["Nice shooting Omega Three-Six."] Scorch's voice carried over comms.

["I aim to please."] Another Clone voiced out.

["Three-Six… Leave the jokes to One-Five next time."] Someone, another Commando by the sound of the voice, muttered in exasperation.

["Got it _ner vod_."] Darman acknowledged.

Mineth tuned out the conversation as she helped Fixer up, the Commando testing his left arm. "Should be good to until a medic can get it stitched up." He said, before looking at the way she was heavily favoring her left leg. "Your foot okay Eight-Six?"

"I'll be fine for now. Only a sprain." She hissed as she pulled out a syringe and injected a painkiller stim into a slot in her armor.

Within seconds her foot _felt_ a lot better.

"How far is it to the next bit of cover?"

"About two hundred meters, give or take."

"That sounds good." She appraised.

Getting up, she sprinted across the field as Fixer covered her, managing to make it to an outbuilding for the villa and set up her position.

Fixer darted across the open terrain, equally unmolested by enemy fire.

The Droids were too busy shooting at things directly in their sights to care about two stragglers apparently.

"How much further to the Villa?" She asked between breaths.

"Another good sprint, about another two hundred meters."

"Go… You're more badly wounded than I am." She told him, pointing her rifle at the sources of the streams of angry red blaster bolts pelting the main building.

"No, you first, your foot is injured, you'll take longer than me." He instructed her.

"All the more reason for you to go first, so someone better than me can stitch your arm up."

Fixer appraised the situation, saw the logic, and then nodded, running forwards.

He made it about fifteen meters before he felt himself fly once more as an explosion flung him into the air, and then felt the crush of his armor against dirt a split second later.

Vaguely he heard Mineth scream his name, not his callsign, but his _name_.

His vitals were okay, so why didn't he feel like he should be okay?

Still disoriented he called out her name. Some still functional part of his mind thinking that would reassure her.

* * *

Ghez Hokan watched as the Commando was flung into the air by an AAT's cannon blast.

He frowned behind his helmet as he heard a voice pick up.

It sounded vaguely like Jango Fett, although the intonation was different.

The Commando, wearing white armor with green markings, armor that very much resembled his own _Beskar'gam_, albeit bulkier and more technically sophisticated, tried to flop onto his back, but the pack he wore was getting in the way.

Hokan slunk around, an aggravating state for a warrior to be reduced to but the only way he'd survive long enough in the chaos as blasterfire whipped through the air, making his way closer.

He tossed an EMP grenade into the affair, hoping to further disorient his target and anyone nearby.

The Mando watched the man tear off his now useless helmet and his breath caught.

Uthan was right, they _had_ cloned Jango Fett.

Because he was staring at a young man who was physically almost the spitting image of the former 'True _Manda'lor_' when he was merely twenty.

The Commando looked dazed, stunned, mindlessly calling out someone's name, it was soft, sounded female.

Perhaps a training sergeant, or a commanding officer he'd grown attached to?

Hokan rested his hand on the cylinder attached to his belt.

He promised to make it quick, a warrior deserved an honorable death at the hand of someone they saw, with a chance to fight back, not getting shot helplessly by a droid from four hundred meters away while in a dazed stupor.

* * *

Fi swept his scope over to look at where Fixer was according to the tactical net, or where he'd been before his signal suddenly cut out.

"Eyes on Four-Oh… Oh _no_." Fi muttered.

["What's wrong?"]

"It's karking _Hokan_, he's approaching Delta Four-Oh… He's still dazed too, poor _shabuir_ doesn't even know he's coming."

["Take the karking shot One-Five."] Niner barked at Fi.

"On it." Fi whispered before lining up his sights on Hokan with the 17m's sniper mode, waiting for him to stop moving so he had a clear shot at the _chakaar_.

He exhaled softly.

He had one shot, or Fixer was a dead man.

* * *

Ghez Hokan frowned as the dazed Commando blinked at him.

He scrambled for his blaster as his senses came back to him.

Good man. He would feel less guilty about this now.

Hokan ignited Fulier's lightsaber and swept it back to cleave the Clone's head clean off, the blade humming loudly as it was swung.

Then there was an enraged cry from his side.

"GET AWAY FROM HIM YOU FEKKER!" A female voice called out as a _much_ shorter individual wearing similar armor to the Commando tackled Hokan from the side and knocked him to the ground.

In the confusion, the lightsaber flung from his grip, blade extinguishing as it flew through the air.

Then he was on the ground, a rifle muzzle pressed against his neck.

The last thing Ghez Hokan saw was the face of the most _pissed off_ Bothan he'd ever seen before Mineth emptied the _entire_ sixty round power pack from her DC-17m into his throat on full automatic.

* * *

Ordo lowered his WESTAR as Mineth picked up Fixer and hauled him back into cover, releasing a breath he hadn't even known he'd held, both sides returning to their previous games of plinking shots at the other side for the next few minutes, A'den coordinating with Boss and Niner to cover weakpoints and find a way to draw enough fire away for Scorch's move to get Mineth and Fixer over to the main strongpoint at the villa.

Then, at one instant, Droids stopped firing just as Scorch prepared to dash over to the other side.

A bad omen given the sudden uptick in clanking.

And then he saw the enemy assault force advance and he felt his heart fall.

A full two _battalions_ with armored support were advancing upon the villa, the engagement Omega had been caught in had been merely a delaying action to pin them down and buy time for the main forces.

Then the droids _stopped_ as two massive shapes suddenly swept over the battlefield, a pair of _Gozantis_, modified to serve as heavy lifters swooping over everyone before turning as they lowered themselves down.

And slung underneath each of them were a pair of absolutely_ immense_ walkers, which released from the clamps once only a meter or two of distance remained between their feet and the ground.

Heads tracked to stare down droid tanks.

For a second, everything was silent.

And then their tusk-like chin cannons opened fire.

* * *

Captain Hurati watched in mute horror as the four massive quadruped walkers marched towards his forces, even as smaller bipedal AT-XTs and hexapod AT-TEs were landed by gunships in concert with infantry.

More vehicles like AT-PWs and AT-SEs soon joined the affair, as did hovertanks and wheeled APCs.

But it was these behemoths which strode through heavy fire without pause or even that much damage despite the hammering the AATs were giving them that truly left an impression on him, their purposeful strides as they rained death down on the droids, whom fought a fighting withdrawal now that the Republic had achieved air dominance.

The Umbaran didn't know when he'd suddenly found himself on the ground, but as he tried to get up, he found that the walkers were upon him quicker than he thought something of that size and gait could move.

He heard their rhythmic dull noise of their joints fill his ears, punctuated by the percussion of weighty metal footfalls.

_Whir-clonk-whump._

_Whir-clonk-whump._

_Whir-clonk-whump._

_Whir-clonk-whump._

He swore as he bled out from shrapnel wounds that it was almost _hypnotic_ to listen to in isolation.

Then a shadow filled his vision.

And the foot of an AT-AT came down upon him.

So ended the life of Captain Hurati of the CIS Army.

* * *

Mineth handed Fixer his helmet as they watched the 608th and 275th cut into the droids while gunships and gunship bombers flitted overhead. Both mesmerized by the immense size of the AT-AT walkers as they stomped across the ground in the orange light of dawn, collapsing Gdan nests with the shock of every step and causing hundreds of the frightened ratlike creatures who'd remained inside to tend to the nests to flee into the woods in droves.

Sabre trotted over to them. "We late for the party?" He joked idly as his squad moved to secure the area after disembarking from a gunship

"You're early actually." Mineth gasped in relief as people began to file out of the blasted and wrecked villa while putting on her own helmet.

Nearby, Niner stooped down and picked Fulier's lightsaber, offering it to Etain, whom accepted it gingerly.

Whatever he said was lost as Mineth felt something tap against her helmet.

Her gaze tracked over from the side cams to find Fixer had pressed the forehead of his helmet against hers, holding it there briefly before letting whatever gesture he'd made end.

Ordo gave them a look.

"What was that…? A bad headbutt?" She asked.

"A _kov'nyn_, it can be a headbutt… But it earned the nickname 'Keldabe Kiss' for the way two _Mando'ade_, usually those in a relationship, would use it while in full armor to show affection." Ordo said, completely nonchalant about the entire thing as he watched Omega huddle around Etain while regular Troopers from the 608th watched Uthan under A'den's direction as an arriving gunship deposited an Alpha ARC Captain, a Gurlanin, and a pair of Jedi plus a Gran wearing a volunteer Republic army uniform with medical markings.

Mineth blinked before giggling stupidly.

And then she blacked out as the painkiller stims wore off and every bit of exertion her body had made hit her at once, overloading her nervous system.

The last thing she heard was someone shouting for a medic while Ordo muttered about needing to have the stims refined.

* * *

**13:7:5 GRS**

**RSS** _**Kestrel**_**, Qiilura System, Qiilura Sector.**

Kelia watched as the fields and woods of Qiilura rolled out before her ship.

It was a breathtaking sight that reminded her of Bothawui, and she smiled at the nostalgic memories.

This hardly improved the fact that most of the CIS fleet fled the system after Dooku's ship cleared the gravity well.

And so far they had a _massive_ amount of cleanup of CIS forces that'd been left behind to do. Which was Ord Mantell's responsibility from now on.

There was also the ongoing dispute between the Gurlanins and the colonists, most of whom were distrustful, often rightfully so, of the polymorphic natives of Qiilura.

All it took was a spark and things would escalate from there. And all because the Republic had _let_ the Trade Federation own entire planets to do as they wished with, had the Gurlanins been discovered by Republic rather than corporate scouts, it's very possible they might be represented in the Senate.

But the corruption and rot ran deep...

She sighed and smoothed the fur on her neck as the gunships began returning with troops aboard.

Another job well done though.

"Sir! Message from Coruscant! We're to stop by the planet to escort General Windu and the 187th Legion to Lantilles with our taskforce!" Vox, the on-duty comms officer reported.

The ride never ended, did it? "Roger, inform them that we acknowledge and will make best time back as soon as all of our ground and fighter assets are aboard and secured." She instructed him.

"Sir!" The Clone acknowledged before relaying the text comms message.

* * *

Ordo stepped off the gunship and stretched as a dazed but still protesting Mineth was hauled away alongside Fixer by the medics after finally waking back up.

Omega squad and their Bothan allies had gone back to Triple Zero with A'den aboard the _Majestic_, guarding Uthan as she was transferred to a high security Republic prison to await trial for war crimes.

He didn't blame Jakys for going, he'd been nervous from the moment he saw the _Kestrel_ loom over them, and whatever bad blood the two Los'ean siblings had wasn't his problem at the moment.

On a more personal aside, Fi had taken Hokan's armor with him, which aggravated Ordo since he'd wanted red _beskar'gam_, though had conceded that the Commando had first call on the suit.

Kelia strode into the bay with Ielec in tow. "Captain."

"Commodore." He replied politely.

"We're heading back to Coruscant to escort General Windu to Lantilles… Mostly unsure who else will be coming along, but there is one name I recognized…" She pulled out a datapad and showed him a name she'd picked out among a list of personnel.

Sergeant Kal Skirata was to come aboard the _Kestrel_.

_Kal'buir_…

Ordo frowned as consternation flooded him, he'd been dwelling on what he'd ask Kal for some time, why he'd kept the Nulls apart from the rank and file or even the Commandos and other ARCs, why he'd never disciplined them to keep them from being too rowdy, why he'd omitted certain _details_ about Mandalorian history as Ordo had been none too happy when he learned that many of the initial 'adoptees' of Mandalorian culture during the Mandalorian Wars had been forced to do so under threat of slavery or death.

And of course, why he'd lied to them about the training accident _they'd_ caused.

He wasn't looking forward to it, and while he doubted there would be an argument it was just the… Possibility that he'd emotionally hurt the man that truly frightened him.

Or worse, lose control and physically strike his _buir_. His emotions were a razor's edge away from causing him to lash out at someone…

Again, another parallel to that _di'kut_ Skywalker. This was becoming a theme he didn't like to think about.

The Bothan gave him his peace to think about what that meant, though the look on her face indicated she was concerned nonetheless.

He shook his head, Kelia, though he didn't truly consider her a part of his circle just yet due to not knowing her personally, had indeed grown on him.

The genuine compassion she showed for her men, the way she treated them as individuals rather than wet droids.

Not to mention _paying_ them, something she still managed to get away with by virtue of the GAR's continued lack of any regulation regarding paying Clones.

It was enough to earn her not just respect from him, but a measure of loyalty, that while not as intense as that which was reserved for family.

It _did_ mean he would be willing to die for her and her lot nonetheless if he was so required to.

But not _quite _willing to go out of his way to do so.

Paradoxical, just like everything about him and his brother Nulls.

"I'm fine ma'am." He replied candidly.

So far, the Commodore was a fairer introduction to women than he'd had previously as well.

"Very well then, I'm about to head up to my office to await the debrief reports, is there anything I should know before then?" She asked.

Ordo hissed. "Well, it's that Sergeant Skirata is… Very vocal of his dislike of Jedi and Republic for their use of the Clone Army in violation of their principles. And is one of the traditionalists who believe the _Mando'ade_ should band together and isolate themselves from the Galaxy's troubles as much as possible." He admitted.

Kelia huffed softly. "He's not wrong about the Republic and its decaying morals, but the Jedi never really had much of a choice, despite all evidence to the contrary, they're as much at the beck and call of the senate as I am, have been since Ruusan." She pointed out. "Whether for better or worse this war will probably end up telling us in the end. As for his ideas regarding Mandalorian culture, I'm still technically an outsider despite my heritage, and while I may not agree with what he says to the letter, I will respect his opinions on whatever subject we disagree on."

Ordo nodded, glad that she was at least being cordial. "I take it you had to deal with people who you couldn't punch in the face when you were younger?"

She snorted. "You underestimate exactly how cutthroat Bothan high society is, every action you take is judged on an almost _instinctual _level, so much so that even veteran Senators have rarely attended a gala hosted by Bothan nobility more than once… And my own clan, despite its stature due to our prominence in the Sector Forces, hates dealing with it as well. It's not an exaggeration to say my species invented the rulebook on fighting dirty and by any means necessary… And we're no strangers to using it in warfare either by that note, even more so than anyone beyond the Hutts would ever be comfortable with given the untold horror stories about what_ they_ did during their wars of expansion…"

The Null ARC nodded as she trailed off uncomfortably, remembering what he'd read on the Bothan mentality of _Ar'kai_, and the horrific and mind numbing extents the species went to completely _obliterate_ any unfortunate adversary who was subjected to that state of speciecidal total warfare, down to every last line of _text_ mentioning said species and their culture, from the face of history itself.

And for the coup de grace, the enemy homeworld was to be literally ground into _dust_ after being completely shattered by baradium fission weapons…

No ceasefire, no surrender, no end to the killing until either the Bothans or their opponents had been annihilated, with every able bodied individual that could be mustered drafted and put under arms or in support of the war effort.

Ordo only barely suppressed a shudder as he remembered that the Bothans had done this _twice_ in their recorded history.

What truly scared him was that though _Mando'ade_ like _Kal'buir_ often went on about how you can't kill an idea…

The Bothans clearly, and with valid evidence to the contrary, or rather an_ intentional_ lack thereof in this case, begged to differ on that subject.

The only thing that calmed his nerves on the subject was that the species only ever declared _Ar'kai_ when they felt they were threatened with their _own_ extinction.

With the conversation effectively ended by the turn it had taken. Ordo pulled out a datachit and handed it to Kelia. "Your _vod_ wanted you to have that, figured I was as good a candidate as any to give it to you." He said softly.

She said nothing in reply, simply looking at it.

He had no obligation to give it to her, but also no reason to refuse, so he'd done it anyways.

Kelia was still standing there, staring at the chip as Ordo silently turned and strode off.

* * *

Mineth sighed as she stared at the bacta laden canister her foot was in.

Turned out that by charging Hokan, she'd aggravated the sprain and tore a tendon, which is why it hurt like _hell_.

Naturally a little bacta would accelerate the healing process and she'd be fully combat ready in a few days.

Fixer glanced over at her from where he was sitting on his bed, waiting for the bacta laced stitches to seal up properly on his end. "Still annoyed about the tear?"

"Well… I saved your life doing it, so it was worth it." She said earnestly.

Fixer nodded before watching Yorr and one of his staff officers pass them. "So, what do you wanna do when we get out?"

"Probably see if Sev and Scorch dumped either of our bunks as a joke." Fixer huffed.

Those two only put aside their mutual desire to needle eachother in order to mess with Fixer ever since the closeness between him and Mineth became apparently.

Boss was doing all he could to keep them in line, and it still wasn't enough.

Mineth shrugged idly. "Yeah." She sighed.

"You're doing it again. What's bugging you?"

"It's more… That Kelia is afraid I'll get killed… Which was _always_ a risk no matter what I did." The Bothan muttered softly.

Fixer cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

Mineth frowned. "You know when I said we were close friends… Well… There were more than just the two of us in that circle once…" Said managed.

The Commando fell silent. "I see… So she's afraid that she'll lose you as well…"

"She's afraid of a lot of things, leaving her daughter without a mother… Losing everyone else she cares about… It makes me worried."

"About what?"

She looked down. "That she might lose herself _trying_ to keep those she cares about safe…"

Fixer frowned, not fully understanding what the Bothan meant.

But she didn't elaborate, and he didn't ask.

Thus, the two sat in silence, which was only broken by the rhythmic noises of medical equipment and the blare of an alarm signifying the ship jumping into hyperspace.

* * *

**13:7:5 GRS**

_**Nu**_**-class****Shuttle ST 479, Naval Base Aurek, Coruscant, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Kal Skirata grumbled as the new _Nu_-class shuttle lifted off from the pad late in the day.

It sure as hell wasn't a _Meteor_-class Q-ship, and it wasn't an LAAT either, one narrow exit chokepoint that was really only good for landing troops in uncontested areas, armament more suited for fighting defensively and clearing a low intensity LZ as needed than an assault landing, lack of stowage for recon walkers or speeders, wings that had to move out of the way before it could even land in the first place.

And some stylus-pushing civvie at Cygnus Spaceworks had the gall to think this could replace the lartie?

What a load of _osik_. This type was clearly meant for primarily non-combat missions and personnel transfer, not battle.

Mereel glanced over at him curiously. "You alright _Kal'buir_?" He asked softly, earning a look from one of the other Clones being transported with them alongside a quintet of Republic officers, two human males, a Togruta surgeon, a Bothan, and a Lepi of all things, the last of whom definitely looked like they wanted to get to their destination ASAP.

"Just torn between being angry or amused that some _di'kut _thinks this can replace the LAATs, she's not a bad ship but… She's not a combat dropship." Kal chuckled mirthfully.

Mereel chuckled in agreement.

["Attention all passengers, we're past the outer shield grid, now on approach to RSS _Kestrel_."] The Pilot chattered away over the speakers.

Kal wondered what the buzz was about regarding Qiilura, but apparently the _Majestic_ had only barely stopped by for an hour or two to offload a couple of unaligned individuals who'd worked with Omega, including a Bothan _Mando'ade_ much to his surprise, during that operation before immediately loading troops and gear and staging for movement to Lantilles alongside a dozen other Assault Ships at the behest of the Chancellor due to ongoing activity in the Tion and CIS movements to Sith Space of all places.

"How do you think _Ord'ika_ has been adjusting?" Kal inquired of Mereel, wondering what how he thought his brother had acclimated.

The Null ARC looked down contemplatively. "He's probably been doing fine. It's Ordo _Kal'buir_." He replied after a few moments.

Kal hoped so, the rank and file, much to his chagrin, had been cold at best towards everyone but Prudii, and mostly because he tried not to view himself as too far apart from his 'regular' brothers.

The old warrior sighed, knowing his mistakes, his desire to make up for his own past scars, had caused this no matter how much he would stubbornly refuse to admit it.

"What do you think of Commodore Los'ean?" Mereel asked softly.

Kal frowned, remembering Ordo's research on the subject after their brief meeting during the handover of Copper Squad's remains.

Clan Aean was a bit of a sore subject among the True Mandalorians, and he himself had been appalled when he'd learned as a younger man of the way those Bothans and countless other _Mando'ade_ of every species and stripe had been treated in the aftermath of the _Dral'Han_ by their fellows, the worst of whom had used legitimate concerns about resources and population sustainability as excuses to evict them from homes they'd held claim to for generations, be it over xenophobic sentiments or even just mere clan rivalries.

The Republic may have overstepped its bounds in what it did, but what happened in the aftermath wasn't at their behest in the slightest.

Then, in living memory, came the Clan Wars, which were a _very_ painful subject to him as they caused the deaths of dozens of close friends and _alii'vode_, who'd either abandoned Jaster Mereel's cause after Gallidran, whom had sided with Death Watch, or whom never subscribed to either cause in the first place, in the fighting.

Clan Skirata itself was nearly wiped out in the process, and Kal at that point couldn't blame his by-then estranged wife for keeping his sons and daughter away from the life of a warrior, the Wars were a level of brutality that the Mandalorians _rarely_ initiated upon themselves, and it was a shock to the system for just about everyone.

All of this only further reinforced the need for a _Manda'lor_, and a constant presence of individuals in such a position, in his mind, to stop such conflicts before they broke out.

Or barring that, a radical restructuring of Mandalorian society, not to the same extreme as the 'New' Mandalorians, but something of a compromise.

While_ ideally_, the _Mando'ade_ were all warriors at heart. In practice, since the _Dral'Han_ most only had weapons for self-defense and hunting, and very few families outside the major clans boasted even a _single_ suit of _Beskar'gam_.

So the solution would naturally be for the Mandalorians to adapt to this state of affairs as they had to the _Ani'la_ _Akaan_, with the warriors clans being reforged into the basis of a standing but highly flexible armed forces, and a civilian government with heavy military influence led by an elected _Manda'lor _created.

Not unlike how Clan Aean arranged things on their turf he realized in hindsight.

He resisted the urge to snort, that would go over with the more warrior heavy clans about as well as adopting the Jedi code would, _Mando'ade_ were nothing if not stubborn, and even he'd only reluctantly admitted that the option had merit.

"Don't know her beyond her file. And based on her record so far you'd be hard pressed to believe she's still in her very early _twenties_." He admitted candidly, remembering his partial surprise at how young she was when she stepped of the _Kestrel's_ boarding tube, having expected an officer twice her age. "But she doesn't seem to hold any resentment against most _Mando'ade_ for what happened to her ancesors. Though I doubt much of her clan shares that opinion… After all, _Mando'ad draar digu_."

Be it someone who did right by them, or someone who's wronged them.

A Mandalorian never forgets.

Mereel nodded at him in understanding.

The shuttle lurched slightly and they felt the wing servos shudder as the airfoils folded up, the craft clearly coming in for a landing.

["We have arrived at our destination. Please gather your carry-ons and other belongings before proceeding to disembark via the main boarding ramp, your checked baggage will be available at the main concourse five to ten minutes after disembarking. On the behalf of the entire crew, I thank you all for flying Republic Spaceways."] The pilot snarked, much to Kal's amusement.

That sort of dry wit from transport pilots never got old.

Kal undid his restraints and stood up, Mereel already on his feet and grabbing his weapons.

The two joined the others in leaving the shuttle's passenger hold, most heading to temporary bunking where they'd stay until they reached station _Glory_, though the Togruta female seemed like she was going to stay given how she was talking to a nearby Clone medical officer, like the ship's chief doctor.

He'd never been on a _Venator_ before but had heard it was based on the old Mandalorian _Aka'roya_-type pattern by KDY at Jango's behest, and the ship almost overwhelmed him with how busy it was.

Clones in coveralls with multi-colored vests and helmets denoting their specific role in the hangar hierarchy, bustled about the bays, maintaining fighters, gunships, and other craft.

Already a flight crew was heading over to the shuttle, one Clone wearing a blue helmet and vest chattering away into his headset, likely communicating with deck control.

Then Kal saw Ordo and noted the pensive look on his face.

Something had clearly happened that had Ordo looking visibly nervous.

Kal just hoped his adoptive son was alright.

"Ordo! How've you been doing _ner vod_?" Mereel asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

"I've been fine… Learned some stuff while aboard the ship…" Ordo said calmly and carefully.

Kal grimaced. He'd learned something _bad_ then…

"_Kal'buir_… Why didn't you tell us what we did?" Ordo accused, somewhat upset now that he was actually going through with it.

"Did what?" Mereel asked, confused as he looked between the two. "What are you talking about Ordo?"

"Our last 'prank' _ner vod_… We hit a training range that had been rescheduled to active use at the last minute without bothering to double check, as a result of our arrogant self-assurance of our own memories being infallible nearly an entire _company_ was killed… And we sat there and _laughed_ as we shot at the Aiwhabait who were only trying to save _lives_… Albiet for the sake of product but _still_..." Ordo said testily as his hand trembled, the young man exhaling and trying to calm himself while simultaneously wondering if this really was such a good idea.

The look of sheer horror on Mereel's face was echoed in the utter _shame_ on Kal's as he looked down at his boots.

It hurt Ordo to see his _buir_ like this… But this had to happen sooner or later. "Why? Why not tell us?" Ordo asked softly.

Kal pursed his lips, knowing Ordo probably wouldn't like what the answer was no matter how he spun it.

So he chose the one that would hurt his sons the least.

And so… He decided to be brutally honest. "Because I let you boys run _too_ rampant… In my desire to be the 'good' father I failed to give you an even-handed treatment, failed to discipline you for infractions that were worthy of such… And you boys suffered for it… And for that, and what little it might mean to you… I'm sorry…" He said finally.

Ironic that he treated the Commandos with a more even-handed approach than his adopted sons.

Ordo let out a breath that he didn't realize he'd been holding. "I understand… You… Just wanted us to have lives independent of being pawns in a war we had no investment in…" He said as he placed a hand on Kal's shoulder.

"It's no excuse…"

"That doesn't mean we don't forgive you _Kal'buir_." Ordo said softly, with Mereel nodding in agreement. "It's just a matter of forgiving ourselves for letting things go as far as they did. And you're not the only one at fault, we could have chosen to draw a line somewhere, or perhaps taken the lessons you gave to the Commandos to heart ourselves, but we didn't. And for that, maybe we failed _you_."

Kal remained silent at that, not really sure how to respond and also remembering his _other_ children, his _biological_ ones, how he abandoned them for the sake of a favor he owed Jango.

And that was the root cause for _this_ problem. He'd failed his sons and daughter, so he felt like he had to be an ideal parent for the Nulls.

Would they be so willing to forgive him if they knew _that_?

He didn't know, and some part of him hoped he would never have to.

* * *

**13:7:5 GRS**

**RSS **_**Kestrel**_**, Coruscant System, Corusca Sector.**

Kelia gazed out the bridge windows, looking over the current composition of the fleet, trying to take her mind off the datachit Ordo had given her by counting the capital ships. A sea of white-grey hulls marked with Republic Red floating in orbit around the capitol of the Republic.

A quartet of _Mandator II_-class ships, the _Star of Coruscant_, _Pride of the Core_, _Jewel of Hesperidium_, and _Shield of the Republic_, had slotted themselves at the head of several formations of vessels, mostly _Dreadnaughts_, CD10s, _Venators_, _Velites,_ and _Gladiators_, all four _Mandators_ that formed the backbone of the Corusca Sector Forces having finished their refits at last.

The rest of the fleet was now anchored by nine _Procurators_, a trio of _Legators_, two upgraded _Mandator Is_, and twelve _Praetors_.

Nothing really new among the heavy cruisers beyond Kuati _Proclamators_ supplanting some of the _Dreadnaughts_, likely the result of continued delays with Seinar's heavy cruiser program and other projects, though there was now also a sizable number of _Acclamators_ outfitted for space combat, probably as a stopgap.

More light cruisers, frigates, and corvettes as well, and even some _Centax_-class frigates had finally made their way into the force. Though Kelia expected the fleet to dwindle as the war went on and ships were handed off to frontline commands once Coruscant space was fully secured by defense platforms and anti-orbital gun batteries.

On the subject of _Acclamators_, three _Acclamator_-class assault ships, the _Implacable_, the _Majestic_, and the _Aken_, had joined them, the first of the three carrying the 187th legion under General Windu.

"We have clearance from traffic control sir. We're good to go when you are." Yap said from his seat at communications control.

Kelia nodded down at him. "Nav, do we have the coordinates locked in and distributed?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good. Sound the jump alarms and give the order to the fleet. We jump once we reach the assigned vector."

"Aye sir!" Perth acknowledged before tapping his headset, jump alarms blaring throughout the ship as the dull hum of her engines increased in pitch as she accelerated.

Kelia turned and stared out the bridge viewports, there was a certain freedom to plying the stars, for all the uncertainties and horrors involved.

Some part of her enjoyed that sensation, of heading into the unknown.

Was it a hardwired instinct? Or just personal preference?

As _Kestrel _and her fleet leapt forwards into hyperspace Kelia knew one thing.

The sense of satisfaction she got from this job was second only to seeing her daughter grow up.

She smiled softly at the thought as the bridge windows opaqued.

* * *

**AN: And scene.**

**NGL the stuff with the Nulls and Kal was something I was iffy on, and part of why I've been holding off on this for so long.**

**If anyone's wondering why we're seeing _Captor_-class cruisers in **_**Republic**_** use, it's because the type was made by KDY, whom probably began selling them to various sectors after breaking fully with the Trade Federation in the leadup to the invasion of Naboo.**

**Same reason why **_**Recusants**_** also appear, numerous sectors that have them are using them to defend the Republic.**

**The Neimoidians, being cheap, quickly bootlegged the design and had Hoersch-Kessel Drive build unlicensed copies since they couldn't have a fleet solely made of **_**Lucrehulk**_** variants as leading warships.**

**Anywho, onto more ship explanations, the ****_Aka'roya_-type pattern is the pseudo-_Venator_ from the KOTOR comics, and another link to the past, in this case Jango indirectly convincing KDY to use a proven Mandalorian missile battlecruiser pattern for a carrier given ECM and other countermeasures in Star Wars have long outpaced current missile seeker technology as a few sourcebooks such as The New Essential Guide to Weapons and Technology have stated.**

**That and its more useful and versatile as a carrier.**

**The _Procurator _is based on the design seen in RaW and a few other fan sources, though specifically looking like Fractalsponge's more detailed version, even if in the same colors.**

**The design of the _Centax_-class is based on the RaW adaptation of a ship design seen in an image representing Anaxes in the sourcebook _Coruscant and the Core Worlds_.**

**The_ Legator_-class is from him as well I should add. And in this case is basically a command variant of the _Mandator II_ that was sold by KDY in the leadup to the Clone Wars when people stopped caring about Ruusan technicalities.**

**Likewise is the _Proclamator_, which is a warship variant predecessor of the _Acclamator_ according to Fractal's description of it, costlier too.**

**Naturally some wealthier CIS sectors have KDY battlecruisers and dreads as well, since KDY didn't really discriminate prior to the shooting starting and some worlds and sectors only picked sides at the eleventh hour.**

**On an aside the appearance of the _Mandator_ _Is and IIs_ here is basically the appearance of the ship in the Empire at War remake mod, since I absolutely _loathe_ the version in Republic at War used for the _Pride of the Core_ for being not Kuati enough because it's too rounded when compared to literally _everything_ else associated with the Mandators in terms of official material, which admittedly comes down to the _Bellator_ and the glorified slice of pizza from TLJ but I digress.**

**The only thing worse is that gawdawful _Mandator I _model used in some EaW mods, which looks so rounded it probably thinks it's a Mon Calamari ship.**

**No offense to the people who made those models but jeez, they're not _Mandators_.**

**I mean, I get _why_ they made them, the _Pride_ in particular, that way, since they're supposed to be the _Bellator_ but with additional armor plate on it, but it just doesn't look like a KDY design as a result, maybe if the plating was more angular and sloped, then yeah, but as is I hate it as much as I hate the damn EaW model everyone seems to associate with the NTB-630 despite it looking like a Koensayr BTL/BTS series design instead of an Incom/Subpro collab like the ARC-170 or Z-95. With Republic at War's popularity perpetuating that stupidity in spite of sources like Cross-Sections books and TEGTW stating the NTB-630 and PTB-625 are quite blatantly related to the ARC-170 in terms of design, with the latter source even outright calling them modifications to the ARC-170's design in the footnote for the heavy fighter itself.**

**I would actually have no issues with that ship model if it _was_ a Koensayr design, but sadly fanon creativity is apparently frowned upon when it comes to making new equipment types for Empire at War mods no matter how appropriate it would be.**

**Anyways, rant over,**** we're in the final stretch for the Reaper Crisis now, basically chapter 18 will be a short pause, then two chapters of Rhen Var, maybe another small respite, then skip directly to the final showdown at Thule, which'll be about a three to four chapter sub-arc like Raxus Prime given the sheer scale of the battle.**

**Seems to go faster when you remember playing it on a GameCube I suppose.**

**Hopefully I won't end up hurrying it too much just to get this over with so I can _finally_ move on to more varied material.**

**Oh yeah, Omega has been out of the loop since they were in stasis, which is why they don't recognize the BTL-A2 Y-Wings.**

**And yes, HOPE pods are a thing that we've seen once via the old Clone Wars animated comics, albeit we're going in without the stupid fucking umbrellas the Commandos used in that issue, TCW did reuse this concept _once_ with _Dro__ch_-class boarding ships during the episode 'Rookies' using a meteor shower as cover to land Commando Droids, a full _squad_ of Commando Droids, meaning that it's riskier, but a few getting past a defense grid is also a good way to take a remote outpost.**

**Issue is holding it since even BX-series droids are goddamn stupid.**


End file.
